Trump imposes global 10% tariff and rails against supreme court justices | Donald Trump
Donald Trump on Friday lashed out at Supreme Court justices who blocked him from using tariffs, calling the decision “an embarrassment to the nation” and later signing documents imposing 10% tariffs on all countries.
“In my opinion, the court was manipulated by foreign interests and a much smaller political movement than people might realize,” the president said in a speech from the White House. He considered this impact social and cultural, saying: “I am ashamed of some members of the court. I am absolutely ashamed that I did not have the courage to do what was right for our country.”
He praised the three justices who dissented in the opinion: Brett Kavanaugh, who wrote the main dissent, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. Others voiced his ridicule, including two of his appointees, Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch.
“They’re just being Rino’s idiots and lapdogs [“Republicans in name only”] Trump said radical left Democrats should have nothing to do with this issue and continued: “They are very unpatriotic and disloyal to our constitution.”
He referred to Barrett and Gorsuch, calling them “an embarrassment to their families” and saying they were “barely” invited to next week’s State of the Union address.
Asked about evidence of foreign influence on the high court, Trump replied: “You’ll find out.”
Trump said he would immediately sign an order increasing tariffs globally by 10 percent under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 and begin investigations into unfair trade practices that allow more tariffs. He argued that he had the authority to impose additional tariffs under existing law without congressional approval.
On Friday evening, Trump shared on Truth Social: “It is my great honor to have signed the 10% Global Tariff for all Countries in the Oval Office, which will go into effect almost immediately.”
Trump stated that he was relatively reluctant to impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and said, “I wanted to be a good boy.” Trump said tariffs under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 and Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 “remain in place and in full force and effect.”
