“We are screwed,” Trump says ahead of Supreme Court ruling on tariffs
ADVERTISEMENT
The US Supreme Court could be giving its decision of the sweeping tariffs that US President Donald Trump imposed on countries since May 2025 today. Reacting to this, Trump took to post on Truth Social about how the US would be "screwed" if the Supreme Court rules that his tariffs are illegal.
Saying that “it would be a complete mess” and almost impossible for the country to pay, as hundreds of billions of dollars would have to be paid back to US companies if the apex court decides against Trump’s tariffs.
“The actual numbers that we would have to pay back if, for any reason, the Supreme Court were to rule against the United States of America on Tariffs, would be many Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, and that doesn’t include the amount of “payback” that Countries and Companies would require for the Investments they are making on building Plants, Factories, and Equipment, for the purpose of being able to avoid the payment of Tariffs. When these Investments are added, we are talking about Trillions of Dollars!” Trump said in the Truth Social post.
“Anybody who says that it can be quickly and easily done would be making a false, inaccurate, or totally misunderstood answer to this very large and complex question. It may not be possible but, if it were, it would be Dollars that would be so large that it would take many years to figure out what number we are talking about and even, who, when, and where, to pay,” he further went on to say about the effects of ruling against him.
January 2026
Netflix, which has been in India for a decade, has successfully struck a balance between high-class premium content and pricing that attracts a range of customers. Find out how the U.S. streaming giant evolved in India, plus an exclusive interview with CEO Ted Sarandos. Also read about the Best Investments for 2026, and how rising growth and easing inflation will come in handy for finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman as she prepares Budget 2026.
“Remember, when America shines brightly, the World shines brightly. In other words, if the Supreme Court rules against the United States of America on this National Security bonanza, WE’RE SCREWED,” he ended the post.
Supreme Court casts doubt on Trump’s tariff authority
Along with the three liberals, several of the six conservative justices questioned whether Trump's use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) gave him the right to levy tariffs. The court's decision does not concern sector-specific tariffs Trump separately imposed, including on steel, aluminium and automobiles.
The International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), a national security provision, will be used by the court to determine whether Trump has the right to impose tariffs. This legislation is the source of many of Trump's tariffs. Nonetheless, these tariffs have previously been declared unlawful by lower courts.
The US may be required to reimburse the money collected as a result of the tariffs imposed under IEEPA if the Supreme Court rules against the case.