Trump: High Court 'Accidentally' Boosted Presidential Powers

President Donald Trump lashed out at the Supreme Court on Monday morning after its 6-3 ruling last week struck down his sweeping trade tariffs, finding he lacked authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose them.

The decision, handed down Friday, vacated the lower court rulings and held that IEEPA does not authorize the president to levy tariffs — handing Trump a major legal setback on a centerpiece of his trade agenda.

But Trump signaled almost immediately that the ruling would not deter him. In a series of Truth Social messages posted within hours of each other Monday morning, the president forcefully rejected the notion that his trade authority had been meaningfully curtailed and warned foreign governments against attempting to exploit the decision.

In one post, Trump insisted he does not need to seek fresh authorization from Congress to impose tariffs.

"As President, I do not have to go back to Congress to get approval of Tariffs. It has already been gotten, in many forms, a long time ago!" he wrote. "They were also just reaffirmed by the ridiculous and poorly crafted supreme court decision!"

In another message, Trump warned that any country attempting to "play games" in the wake of the ruling — particularly nations he says have "ripped off" the United States for years or even decades — would face steeper economic consequences.

"Any Country that wants to ‘play games' with the ridiculous supreme court decision, especially those that have ‘Ripped Off' the U.S.A. for years, and even decades, will be met with a much higher Tariff, and worse, than that which they just recently agreed to," Trump wrote. "BUYER BEWARE!!!"

The warning underscored Trump's insistence that, despite the court's ruling limiting his use of emergency powers under IEEPA, he still retains broad authority to impose other trade penalties — and that he is prepared to escalate.

In a separate Truth Social post published Monday morning, Trump argued the ruling may ultimately expand his leverage over foreign nations and trade policy, even as he criticized the court's reasoning and tone.

Trump wrote: "The supreme court (will be using lower case letters for a while based on a complete lack of respect!) of the United States accidentally and unwittingly gave me, as President of the United States, far more powers and strength than I had prior to their ridiculous, dumb, and very internationally divisive ruling."

He said the decision clarifies alternative tools he believes remain available, adding, "For one thing, I can use Licenses to do absolutely ‘terrible' things to foreign countries, especially those countries that have been RIPPING US OFF for many decades, but incomprehensibly, according to the ruling, can't charge them a License fee – BUT ALL LICENSES CHARGE FEES, why can't the United States do so?"

Trump continued, "You do a license to get a fee! The opinion doesn't explain that, but I know the answer!"

Turning back to tariffs, Trump insisted the court's decision leaves room for other duties and enforcement mechanisms — and made clear he is willing to use them more aggressively.

"The court has also approved all other Tariffs, of which there are many, and they can all be used in a much more powerful and obnoxious way, with legal certainty, than the Tariffs as initially used," he wrote.

Taken together, the posts portrayed the Supreme Court ruling not as a retreat, but as a potential pivot point. By invoking existing statutory authorities and suggesting Congress had already granted tariff powers "in many forms," Trump framed the decision as reaffirming — rather than restricting — his broader trade toolkit.

He blasted the majority while singling out three justices for praise, saying, "Our incompetent supreme court did a great job for the wrong people, and for that they should be ashamed of themselves (but not the Great Three!)."

Trump then pivoted to a broader warning about the court's direction on issues beyond trade, claiming, "The next thing you know they will rule in favor of China and others, who are making an absolute fortune on Birthright Citizenship, by saying the 14th Amendment was NOT written to take care of the ‘babies of slaves,' which it was as proven by the EXACT TIMING of its construction, filing, and ratification, which perfectly coincided with the END OF THE CIVIL WAR."

He added, "How much better can you do than that? But this supreme court will find a way to come to the wrong conclusion, one that again will make China, and various other Nations, happy and rich."

Trump closed by vowing to press forward despite the setback, writing, "Let our supreme court keep making decisions that are so bad and deleterious to the future of our Nation – I have a job to do."

The Supreme Court's tariff decision immediately sparked renewed uncertainty across global markets and among U.S. trading partners, with foreign officials demanding clarity on what comes next, particularly after Trump's Monday morning posts signaling that higher tariffs and alternative trade actions could still be on the table.