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'Financially defenseless': Trump warns ruling against tariff policy would damage U.S. economy

Published: 10 Dec. 2025, 09:08

U.S. President Donald Trump makes an announcement at the White House in Washington on Dec. 2. [EPA/YONHAP]

U.S. President Donald Trump warned that a Supreme Court ruling against his signature tariff policy could severely weaken the U.S. economy.

"The biggest threat in history to United States National Security would be a negative decision on Tariffs by the U.S. Supreme Court," he wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday. "We would be financially defenseless."

Trump’s post came amid speculation that the Supreme Court’s decision is imminent, in what appears to be an attempt to sway public opinion. Last month, he also pressured the court by posting statements such as, “Pray to God that our Nine Justices will show great wisdom, and do the right thing for America!” and “Businesses are pouring into the USA only because of tariffs. Has the United States Supreme Court not been told this???” He also added, “People that are against tariffs are fools!”

The case under review concerns whether the imposition of foreign tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) is legal. Enacted in 1977, the IEEPA has traditionally been used to sanction hostile nations or freeze their assets. Trump was the first president to invoke it to levy tariffs.

Although the court has a 6-3 conservative majority, media outlets have reported that even conservative justices appeared skeptical during oral arguments, causing concern within the Trump camp. Lower courts had already ruled the tariffs illegal.

From the early days of his first term, Trump framed the U.S. trade deficit as a "national emergency" and imposed reciprocal tariffs on trade partners, arguing that the president’s power to restrict imports under the IEEPA includes the authority to levy tariffs.

The Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision as early as the end of this year. If the Trump administration loses, it is likely to continue its tariff policy under other legal provisions, such as Sections 301 and 122 of the Trade Act.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM CHUL-WOONG [[email protected]]