Former President Donald Trump and his diehard allies are incensed. The federal court, in strong terms, has asserted its authority to make policy judgement and shut down large swath of his tariffs, particularly those against China. The U.S. Court of International Trade in New York made a clear, strong ruling. It ruled in favor of a number of complainants, including the state governments of Arizona and Oregon, as well as a collection of small businesses. Coalitions to revoke these tariffs argued that Trump overstepped his executive authority in establishing these tariffs, igniting a firestorm of critiques from Trump supporters.
The court’s decision is particularly significant given Trump’s ongoing legal struggles. Just recently, he was convicted of falsifying business records and making hush money payments throughout the 2016 election cycle. He likes to call the judicial system “corrupt” on the regular. He continues to assert that all bad legal outcomes are simply steps in a broader scheme to undermine his presidency.
In response to the ruling, Trump went on social media tirades, calling the ruling a “judicial coup,” among other things. His remarks underscore a growing sentiment among his backers. Because he was sued over the business practices he conducted while in office and the 2016 and 2020 elections, they have more and more sought to delegitimize the U.S. judicial system itself.
Trump’s ire hits home on a handful of high-profile cases against those in his inner circle. He recently gave a full pardon to the parents of reality TV mogul. They had all been previously indicted and sentenced to prison for fraudulently obtaining more than $30 million in loans. Civic democracy advocates are shocked by this change. They fear doing so might threaten the very integrity of our legal system.
Futures on the S&P 500 rose sharply immediately after the tariff ruling, a harbinger of the stock marked boom just before the overall U.S stock market shorted. Investors cheered after hearing that the tariffs have been paused indefinitely. The ruling has been praised by Democrats involved in the lawsuit, who characterized it as a victory for “working families, small businesses, and everyday Americans.”
Oregon’s Attorney General Dan Rayfield emphasized the importance of the ruling, stating, “We brought this case because the constitution doesn’t give a president unchecked authority to upend the economy.” He further articulated that “this ruling reaffirms that our laws matter, and that trade decisions can’t be made on the president’s whim.”
White House spokesperson Kush Desai defended Trump’s approach, arguing that it is not for “unelected judges to decide how to properly address a national emergency.” Desai highlighted the importance of the administration’s commitment to exercising executive authority. They are primarily interested in addressing economic dislocation and bringing back what he’s dubbed American Greatness.
As tensions continue to flare between Trump’s allies and the courts, it’s hard to know how these legal fights will play out. In the past few months, the former president has vigorously attacked judicial overreach. This has the potential to ignite even more showdowns in the months ahead.