President Donald Trump criticized members of his own party and Supreme Court justices late Friday in a series of social media posts after a high-court decision that overruled his use of emergency powers to impose broad tariffs.
In a 6-3 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court found that Trump exceeded his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act when he imposed extensive global tariffs. The decision, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, stated that the statute did not give the president the power to set tariffs. Instead, it reaffirmed that Congress holds that authority. Five justices in the majority agreed with this interpretation.
At a Friday afternoon briefing at the White House, Trump harshly criticized the ruling and the justices who voted against his tariff authority, including two he had appointed. Later that evening, he made remarks on Truth Social aimed at what he called “disloyal” Republicans who supported the court’s decision.
“Those members of the Supreme Court who voted against our very acceptable and proper method of TARIFFS should be ashamed of themselves. Their decision was ridiculous,” Trump wrote. “Now the adjustment process begins, and we will do everything possible to take in even more money than we were taking in before!”
Trump pointed out the two justices he appointed who joined the majority opinion, Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch, saying their votes against his tariff policy were unusual for conservative appointees. “At least I didn’t appoint Roberts, who led the effort to allow Foreign Countries that have been ripping us off for years to continue to do so. But we won’t let it happen,” Trump wrote. “The new TARIFFS, totally tested and accepted as Law, are on their way!”
Late Friday, Trump posted a final message calling for unity among Republicans. “Republicans are so disloyal to themselves! Unite, stick together, and WIN! President DJT,” he wrote at 10:21 p.m. EST.
The Supreme Court’s decision is one of the most significant defeats for Trump on economic policy since he took office. His response was one of his most personal critiques of the judiciary. During the earlier briefing, he described some justices as lacking “courage” and criticized their reasoning, although he did not provide any evidence to support his claims.
The court’s ruling overturned nearly all of Trump’s emergency-power tariffs after concluding that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act did not allow such extensive trade measures. While the decision may raise questions about refunds for previously collected tariffs, it does not prevent the president from seeking other legal bases for trade actions.
Trump’s posts showed his frustration with fellow Republicans in the court majority and reflected wider tensions in the conservative legal movement regarding executive power and the separation of powers. Analysts note that such open criticism of sitting Supreme Court justices by a president is rare and could affect how the public perceives the judiciary’s independence.
In his social media comments, Trump also suggested that efforts to replace the invalidated tariff program are in progress and promised to explore other legal paths for new trade duties. He did not provide details on timing or methods in his posts.
The Supreme Court’s decision and Trump’s reaction come just days before his planned State of the Union address, where he is expected to discuss trade and economic policy. Republican lawmakers have responded in various ways to the ruling and Trump’s comments, with some supporting his broader trade goals and others cautioning against mixing judicial decisions with party loyalty.
