Trump Claims He Doesn't Need Congressional Approval for Tariffs After Supreme Court Rebuke
After the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on February 20, 2026, that President Trump exceeded his authority by imposing tariffs without congressional approval under IEEPA, Trump responded defiantly on Truth Social claiming he already had congressional approval 'in many forms, a long time ago' and calling the justices 'a disgrace to the nation.' This directly contradicted the Court's landmark decision that sharply curtailed presidential tariff authority. Trump immediately circumvented the ruling by invoking Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 to impose new 10% global tariffs effective February 24. The Court had explicitly held that IEEPA does not authorize presidential tariffs as these constitute taxing powers reserved to Congress under the Constitution's Taxing Clause.
“It has already been gotten, in many forms, a long time ago! [The justices are] a disgrace to the nation.” — Trump's response on Truth Social to the Supreme Court's February 20, 2026 ruling that he exceeded his authority by imposing tariffs without congressional approval under IEEPA
Analysis Feed
AI commentaryThis event represents a significant escalation in Trump's pattern of defying judicial authority and constitutional checks on executive power. By falsely claiming congressional authorization immediately after the Supreme Court explicitly ruled he lacked such authority, Trump demonstrates both willingness to spread disinformation and contempt for judicial oversight. His immediate circumvention of the ruling through alternative legal mechanisms (Section 122) shows strategic exploitation of legal ambiguities to maintain authoritarian control over trade policy despite constitutional constraints.