President Trump says he may attend the Supreme Court debate on tariffs as he considers it crucial for defending American jobs and preventing overseas wars.
In the Oval Office on Wednesday, President Trump stated: “Tariffs are vital tools for our national defense and security. If we don’t win this lawsuit, America will be weakened and face financial difficulties for many years to come.”
If President Trump attends, he will be the first sitting president to participate in a Supreme Court debate. Former President Richard Nixon appeared as a lawyer in Supreme Court debates. William Howard Taft joined the Supreme Court as Chief Justice before becoming president.
The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on November 5th regarding whether President Trump has the authority to impose tariffs under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
In May, the International Trade Court ruled on tariff lawsuits, stating that the President’s use of tariffs to compel foreign governments to meet American demands exceeded legal limits.
In August, the U.S. Federal Appeals Court ruled 7-4 that the IEEPA grants the President significant powers to take actions in national emergencies, yet the law itself does not clearly include the authority to impose tariffs or tax-like measures.
This ruling does not affect tariffs imposed under other legal powers, such as Trump’s tariffs on imported steel and aluminum.
Tariffs are at the core of Trump’s second-term economic policies. It is projected that over the next decade, these tariffs, through taxing imported goods and reducing national debt interest, will bring $4 trillion in revenue to the U.S. economy.
President Trump sees tariffs as a means to negotiate better trade deals with other countries and prevent conflicts between nations like India and Pakistan.
“If we’re not allowed to use what others use against us, we have no defense. It would be a disaster for America,” stated President Trump, emphasizing why he wants to go to the Supreme Court.
President Trump mentioned his involvement in other cases that entered the Supreme Court, including a landmark decision confirming immunity from criminal prosecution when acting in an official capacity as president. However, he did not personally attend those cases.