Democrats are demanding $1,700 in tariff refunds for Americans after the Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump's far-reaching global tariffs.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent demanding the Trump administration "refund approximately $1,751 for every New York household, for a total tariff refund of approximately $13.5 billion to New Yorkers.
"To that end, I am calling on the Department of the Treasury to coordinate with appropriate agencies and immediately formulate and implement a plan to refund all tariff proceeds," she added.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker made a similar demand earlier this week.
"Your tariff taxes wreaked havoc on farmers, enraged our allies, and sent grocery prices through the roof. This morning, your hand-picked Supreme Court justices notified you that they are also unconstitutional," he said.
"On behalf of the people of Illinois, I demand a refund of $1,700 for every family in Illinois. There are 5,105,448 households in my state, bringing the total damages you owe to $8,679,261,600."
California Gov. Gavin Newsom also chimed in, saying earlier this week that it was "time to pay the piper.
"These tariffs were nothing more than an illegal cash grab that drove up prices and hurt working families, so you could wreck longstanding alliances and extort them. Every dollar unlawfully taken must be refunded immediately — with interest. Cough up!"
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., also said after the ruling that it was "time for Trump to pay up and give back your money."
"When someone illegally takes your money, that's called stealing," she said in a post on X.
"Donald Trump stole your money with his illegal tariffs — and you paid higher prices on everything from housing to groceries.
"It's time for Trump to pay up and give back your money."
A report released Friday by Democrats on Congress' Joint Economic Committee found that American families paid an average of $1,745 in tariff-related costs between February 2025 and January 2026 — totaling more than $231 billion overall.
The Supreme Court's ruling found tariffs that Trump imposed under an emergency powers law were unconstitutional, including the sweeping "reciprocal" tariffs he levied on nearly every other country.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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