Trump Promises New Tariffs After Justices Rule Against Him

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by Matthew Cullen

February 20, 2026

AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary

The Supreme Court delivered a significant blow to President Trump’s tariff policies, ruling that he exceeded his authority in imposing sweeping tariffs on imports from nearly every U.S. trading partner. The 6-3 decision marked a rare moment of unity among justices across the ideological spectrum, with conservative Chief Justice John Roberts leading the majority in rejecting Trump’s interpretation of a 1970s-era emergency statute as authorization for tariff imposition without congressional approval. Trump had argued that Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 allowed him to impose tariffs based on national security concerns. However, the Court found this argument lacking, with Roberts emphasizing that the statute does not explicitly mention tariffs and was intended for a different purpose. The ruling undermines Trump’s strategy of using tariffs to reshape global trade dynamics and advance his domestic and foreign policy agendas. In response to the ruling, Trump vowed to restore tariffs through alternative means, specifically invoking Section 122 of the same law, which has never been used by a previous president. He also lashed out at the justices who voted against him, including two he had appointed—Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett—accusing them of being influenced by “foreign interests” and calling them “fools and lap dogs.” This defiance highlights Trump’s ongoing effort to portray himself as standing up to judicial overreach, despite the legal setback. The implications of the ruling are significant

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Originally published on NYT Homepage on 2/20/2026