President Donald Trump has been saying untrue things about the Supreme Court’s approval of his recent tariffs, according to a report from Politico. The report shows that the president is not telling the truth about what the Supreme Court actually decided.
Trump has been saying that the same Supreme Court approved his use of other powers, like the so-called Section 122 tariffs he is using as a temporary solution.
However, Politico says this is not correct.
The report says, “That is not true.”
While three justices who disagreed with the recent Supreme Court decision on tariffs did mention Section 122 as a possible tool Trump could use, the majority of the six justices clearly rejected that idea.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion: “We do not speculate on hypothetical cases not before us.”
This difference is important for Trump’s legal strategy.
The president is now using Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 to justify his 10 percent tariffs, which he imposed in February. He claims the U.S. faces a “large and serious balance-of-payments deficit.”
Legal experts say Trump’s new tariffs are on “probably stronger legal footing” than his earlier “Liberation Day” taxes, which the Supreme Court ruled against.
However, lawyers from 24 Democratic states are already filing lawsuits to challenge Trump’s interpretation of the law and the wide exemptions in his proclamation.
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