Donald Trump melts down after Supreme Court blocks his tariffs, promises a workaround nobody asked for

For most people, when a leader is trying to maneuver a policy that meets opposition from supporters, adversaries, and the law, a change of tact would be expected. But with Donald Trump, a landmark Supreme Court ruling eliminating his tariffs only becomes further evidence that everyone else but him is wrong.

According to CNN, Trump didn’t take the news well. He convened a White House briefing room late on Friday, where he raged against the court. “I’m ashamed of certain members of the court, absolutely ashamed for not having the courage to do what’s right for the country,” Trump said, before adding, “Other alternatives will now be used to replace the ones that the court incorrectly rejected.”

Trump has slowly been losing the Supreme Court, which does technically lean conservative ideologically. At first, the Trump administration was able to justify its measures and legal interpretations in most courts, but gradually judges have started comparing those measures to Orwellian denials of widely accepted truths.

The administration made it clear that this latest ruling wouldn’t foil their plans and that the tariffs would make the US “stronger for it.” The next step of the tariff plan involves implementing a 10% across-the-board tariff for as long as five months. The White House is also hoping Congress can be convinced to enforce an extension far beyond that. Trump said, “It’s a little more complicated, the process takes a little more time. But the end result is going to get us more money.”

Behind the scenes, Trump appeared far more shaken by the decision. He is currently preparing for a State of the Nation address, where he will attempt to convince voters that ever since he took over, things have been going according to plan. The reality, however, is that geopolitically the Russia-Ukraine war is still ongoing, tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate, immigration agents have just been reported to have taken their third life, and the tariffs have turned many US allies against the country.

The stakes are especially high given that the GOP is heading into midterm elections that could go extremely wrong for them. Trump reportedly struggled to conceal his frustration while hosting governors at the White House, where he was overheard calling the Supreme Court ruling “a disgrace” to anyone within earshot.

There is also the possibility that this ruling could prompt companies headquartered in allied countries to move their cases into US courts and challenge Trump policy, potentially locking the administration into prolonged legal battles over issuing refunds in the short-term future.

Economist Michael Strain said, “It’s a huge blow to the president, and it does take away a major foreign policy tool. This is a very decisive statement by the Supreme Court that, on the issue of trade policy, the administration clearly and dramatically exceeded its authority.”

Before the ruling, Trump had described the verdict as “life or death” and warned that if it did not go his way, it “would literally destroy” the country. It is difficult to imagine an administration betting the economy on a move they seemingly did not bother to check for legality.