The political fallout from the Supreme Court’s landmark tariff ruling took a deeply personal turn when President Trump singled out his own nominees — Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch — for some of his harshest criticism, calling them an “embarrassment to their families” after they joined the 6-3 majority that struck down his IEEPA tariff authority. Hours later, Trump announced a new 15% tariff on all imports, signaling that the legal defeat had done nothing to slow his trade agenda.
The new tariffs rely on Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, an untested provision that allows the president to impose levies of up to 15% for 150 days. Trump characterized the measure as “fully allowed and legally tested,” though the latter claim is technically hollow given that the provision has never been used before and therefore never tested in court. Legal challenges are widely expected.
Trump reserved special praise for the three dissenters — Justices Kavanaugh, Thomas, and Alito — while lashing out at the majority in terms that broke with the traditional norms of presidential respect for the judiciary. He called certain justices a “disgrace to the nation,” said he was personally “ashamed” of some of them, and hinted that Barrett and Gorsuch were “barely” on the invitation list for his upcoming State of the Union address.
World leaders responded to both the tariff hike and the extraordinary political drama surrounding it. Germany’s Merz warned of the damage that trade instability causes to transatlantic economic relationships, while France’s Macron offered what amounted to a defense of judicial independence — implicitly rebuking Trump’s attacks on the court. The UK, which had secured a 10% tariff deal, found itself back at the negotiating table in all but name.
The broader economic context adds urgency to the political drama. The US has collected over $130 billion in IEEPA tariffs, with studies showing that 90% of those costs landed on American businesses and consumers rather than foreign exporters. Business associations are calling for refunds that Trump says won’t come easily. As the 150-day clock on the new tariff begins to tick, the question is whether the administration can build a legally durable trade policy before time and court challenges run out.
Trump Raises Tariffs and Attacks His Own Supreme Court Nominees
