This week, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments to determine whether these tariffs imposed by the Trump administration were even legal in the first place. That came during an unprecedented time of economic and political turmoil. The legislative hearing was to investigate if these levies were outside the executive branch’s legal authority. This raised critical questions regarding the impacts of such fiscal policies.
The Trump administration, under President Donald Trump, was in full effect from January of 2017 to January of 2021. All the while, it introduced hundreds of policies to radically change both the domestic and international scenery. Central to its approach was the “America First” foreign policy, which put American workers at the center of American trade and diplomacy. The administration has made use of tariffs with a heavy hand, targeting multiple countries’ imports but particularly China. Yet that’s the expressed purpose of this move—to save American industries and American jobs.
At the hearing, legal scholars argued over how much power the executive branch has to authorize those types of tariffs. To get started, legislators first debated whether the president was well within his rights or had overstepped legal boundaries. The implications of this case’s outcome could establish a precedent through which future administrations may excess executive authority over trade regulations.
The negative economic impact of the Trump administration’s tariffs on the U.S. economy was devastating. Supporters argued that they had initiated an American manufacturing renaissance. Advocates claimed that such changes unnecessarily increased costs to consumers and jeopardized international relations. The tariffs deepened a highly polarized political landscape, with heated public discourse on economic policy and national security.
The Trump administration implemented some of the most draconian changes to immigration regulation in history. Beyond changing trade policy, these moves incited hate-inspired public discourse. The administration’s changes were immediately met with applause and outrage. This reaction shows their brutal attitude towards a range of different demographic groups from around the country.
Indeed, the legality of these tariffs is presently being debated in the U.S. Supreme Court. Simultaneously, it is looking into the bigger picture of executive power in creating economic policy. Lawmakers and economists of all political stripes should eagerly await the court’s ruling. This ruling may set precedent for coming trade agreements and how multinational corporations can influence governments to regulate international trade in their favor.