Trump: 'Don't Need' Congressional Approval on Tariffs

President Donald Trump said he does not plan to seek additional congressional action on tariffs after Friday's 6-3 Supreme Court ruling that Congress had not granted him authority under an emergency statute to levy unlimited tariffs, telling reporters that he already has the ability he needs.

"I don't need to. It's already been approved," Trump said in a press conference Friday after the court's ruling, answering a question about whether he would go to Congress for more tariff power.

He added that he could likely secure support if he did, saying, "I would ask Congress and probably get it."

The press conference aired live on Newsmax and Newsmax2.

Trump also pushed back on criticism from some Republicans and Democrats, saying he's long had tariff authority and that congressional approval already exists for the approach while simultaneously accusing a small number of GOP lawmakers of lacking party loyalty.

"We have great unity," Trump said. "There's great unity in the Republican Party."

Trump used the exchange to defend his broader tariff strategy, saying it has delivered "hundreds of billions of dollars" in revenue and helped revive domestic manufacturing.

He pointed to a recent visit to a steel plant in Georgia, recounting a conversation with an owner who credited the administration's tariffs with reversing what he described as severe business declines.

Trump said the same story was repeating across the region, claiming steel businesses that had been nearing bankruptcy were now "thriving" and hiring, which he attributed to tariffs.

Trump added that the administration's tariff posture is drawing investment back to the United States.

He cited planned or ongoing factory projects, including what he described as new auto plants and semiconductor facilities, saying companies are building domestically to avoid paying duties.

Pressed about whether the court decision could disrupt economic momentum, Trump said he believes it will bring clarity and strengthen the outlook.

Trump also fielded questions about whether tariff revenue collected since his "Liberation Day" announcement could be subject to refunds.

He said the court's opinion did not address what happens to money already collected, suggesting additional litigation could follow.

"They take months and months to write an opinion, and they don't even discuss that point," Trump said. "We'll end up being in court for the next five years."

Trump was asked what message the Supreme Court ruling sends to factory workers. He said he believes workers remain confident because the administration plans to continue using tariffs, even if under different legal authorities.

He also cited a recent trip to Michigan, describing a visit to a Ford plant and saying manufacturing workers are "so thrilled with Trump."

Trump said he was surprised by the Supreme Court decision because he believed the administration's legal position was clear but added that he views the ruling as removing doubt around tariff tools going forward.

"I was surprised because I thought that what we did was … there's no other interpretation," Trump said, adding that "politically correct" judging can influence outcomes.

He said the administration now has "certainty" because alternative authorities have been upheld in court.

"The bottom line is that the word certainty is now in the equation," Trump said. "Every single thing I said today is guaranteed certainty."

He also aimed an attack on the Federal Reserve, calling Chairman Jerome Powell "very incompetent" and accusing him of keeping rates high for political reasons.

Trump said interest rates should come down and said the United States should have the "lowest interest rates on the planet."

He provided another example from a call he described with Switzerland's leader about a proposed tariff increase, saying he told her a trade deficit made the country "a small country with a big deficit for us."

He said he wants other countries to do well, "but I don't want them to do well on the backs of the American taxpayer."

Asked whether trade deals negotiated using tariffs still stand, Trump said some would remain intact, while others could be replaced under different tariff authorities.

"Some of them stand; many of them stand. Some of them won't," he said.

Trump also addressed trade negotiations with India, saying "nothing changes," adding that the U.S. approach remains that "they pay tariffs, and we will not be paying tariffs."

He described Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "a great gentleman" while saying India had previously taken advantage of the United States in trade.

Trump said his relationship with Modi is "great" and cited helping stop a war between India and Pakistan that he said was at risk of turning nuclear.

"I also stopped a war between India and Pakistan," he said, claiming "10 planes were shot down" and that the conflict was "probably going nuclear."

Trump said Pakistan's prime minister told him this week that "President Trump saved 35 million lives" by helping end the fighting.

"And I did it largely with tariffs," Trump added.