U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the Supreme Court’s decision to invalidate his global tariffs, describing the ruling as “very unfortunate” during his State of the Union address on Wednesday, delivered in the presence of several justices.
Among those attending the joint session of Congress were Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett, both conservatives who joined liberal Justice Elena Kagan in a 6–3 majority decision to strike down the tariffs imposed by Trump.
Trump noted, however, that U.S. trading partners “want to preserve the agreements they have made (…) knowing that the legal authority I have as president to strike a new deal could be far worse for them.”
Shortly after the conservative-majority court ruled that Trump had exceeded his authority, the Republican president imposed new 10% tariffs under a different law. The new measures took effect Tuesday, and Trump has pledged to raise them to 15%.
Although the tariffs are temporary—remaining in place for only 150 days unless extended by Congress—Trump insisted they would produce “a solution stronger than before.”
“There will be no need for action by Congress,” he said, adding, “Over time, I believe the tariffs paid by foreign countries will, as in the past, substantially replace the modern income tax system.” He claimed this would ease “a major financial burden on the people I love.”
While Trump floated the idea of replacing the federal income tax with new tariffs, the Tax Foundation, a right-leaning think tank, has previously stated that such calculations “do not work.” The organization said replacing trillions of dollars collected through income taxes with tariffs “would require astronomically high tariff rates.”
A paper released this month by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York also found that roughly 90% of the economic burden of tariffs falls on American businesses and consumers.
The Supreme Court’s decision does not affect tariffs Trump imposed on specific import sectors, such as steel and automobiles.
Last Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court concluded that Trump had overstepped his authority by imposing a series of tariffs that disrupted global trade, thereby blocking a key tool he used to advance his economic agenda.
On health policy, Trump announced plans to end what he described as the “massive inflation” in prescription drug prices, asserting that achieving this “has never happened before,” despite efforts by previous presidents.
He also formally declared the launch of a “war on fraud and corruption,” stating that the campaign would be led by his vice president as part of tighter oversight of public funds and efforts to safeguard taxpayer money.
Regarding healthcare reform, Trump said he wants to halt funding allocated to major insurance companies and redirect those funds directly to citizens, enabling them to purchase healthcare independently. He argued that sending money to individuals rather than insurers “will provide Americans with better healthcare at a lower cost,” addressing what he described as systemic imbalances.
On security, Trump called for the “immediate restoration of funding” for all border security and Department of Homeland Security agencies, stressing their importance in protecting the United States. He accused Democrats of withholding funding from the department responsible for safeguarding Americans, arguing that such actions endanger national security and public safety.
(AFP)
