President Donald Trump said on Monday that the Supreme Court’s recent ruling limiting his authority over tariffs actually gave him wider powers. He wrote on social media that the justices gave him a “license to do absolutely ‘terrible’ things” to foreign countries.
Trump’s comments came three days after the court decided, in a 6-3 vote, that he exceeded his legal authority when he imposed a series of large tariffs under emergency powers. This decision was a major setback for a key part of his economic plan.
In a post on Truth Social early Monday, which appears deleted Trump said, “The supreme court (will be using lower case letters for a while based on a complete lack of respect!) of the United States accidentally and unwittingly gave me, as President of the United States, far more powers and strength than I had before their ridiculous, dumb, and very internationally divisive ruling.”
He went on, “For one thing, I can use Licenses to do absolutely ‘terrible’ things to foreign countries, especially those countries that have been RIPPING US OFF for many decades. But, according to the ruling, I can’t charge them a License fee – BUT ALL LICENSES CHARGE FEES, why can’t the United States do so? You do a license to get a fee! The opinion doesn’t explain that, but I know the answer! The court has also approved all other tariffs, of which there are many, and they can all be used in a much more powerful and obnoxious way, with legal certainty, than the tariffs as initially used.”
Trump’s comments followed a spontaneous White House press conference on Friday, where he criticized the six justices in the majority and called the ruling “a disgrace to our nation.” He argued that the decision would weaken the United States in trade talks and help foreign competitors.
Who is paying for Trump’s tariffs?
Spoiler Alert: it’s Americans! pic.twitter.com/qFwvqOMpPR
— ITDUDE Fella (@The_Real_ITDUDE) February 13, 2026
The Supreme Court’s majority found that the law Trump relied on did not permit the wide range of tariffs he imposed. They concluded that the executive branch must stay within the limits set by Congress. The three justices who disagreed would have supported the administration’s actions.
In a separate post on Monday, Trump ramped up his criticism of the court. He wrote, “Our incompetent supreme court did a great job for the wrong people, and for that they should be ashamed of themselves (but not the Great Three!). The next thing you know, they will rule in favor of China and others, who are making a fortune on Birthright Citizenship, by saying the 14th Amendment was NOT written to take care of the ‘babies of slaves,’ which it was as proven by the EXACT TIMING of its construction, filing, and ratification, which coincided perfectly with the END OF THE CIVIL WAR. How much better can you do than that?”
He added, “But this supreme court will find a way to come to the wrong conclusion, one that again will make China, and various other nations, happy and rich. Let our supreme court keep making decisions that are so bad and harmful to the future of our nation – I have a job to do. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, grants citizenship to “all persons born or naturalized in the United States.” The court has not taken up a case directly reviewing birthright citizenship, although Trump has previously said he would try to end the practice through executive action.
Trump has said he will impose global tariffs of 15 percent, which is the maximum allowed under a never-used trade law. In addition, that law allows these new tariffs to stay in place for about five months before the administration must seek congressional approval. It is yet to be seen how the additional tariffs will affect nations globally.
