President Trump said on Sunday that he would not participate Supreme Court arguments This week he presented the first opinion in a case challenging his authority to impose sweeping tariffs on other countries.
“I will not be going to court on Wednesday because I do not want to distract from the importance of this decision,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “In my opinion, this will be one of the most important and consequential decisions ever taken by the United States Supreme Court. If we win, we will be the richest, safest country anywhere in the world. If we lose, our country could be reduced almost to Third World status – pray God that doesn’t happen!”
Trump claimed in his social media posts that taking away the president’s ability to impose sweeping tariffs could lead to the “ruin of our nation.”
The Supreme Court on Wednesday will consider whether Trump can use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose sweeping tariffs on imports from other countries.
Trump is the first president to attempt to impose tariffs by enacting legislation.
Last month, in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit7-4 decisionAffirmed the lower court’s decision that the tariffs were not authorized by statute. That lawsuit was brought by five small businesses and a dozen Democratic-led states.
While economists have warned that Trump’s aggressive use of tariffs will raise prices for consumers, administration officials have argued that it gives Trump leverage to negotiate trade deals.
