Supreme Court ruling offers little relief for Republicans divided on Trump’s tariffs

Congressional Republicans Clash with Trump Over Tariff Authority

For a few hours last Friday, congressional Republicans seemed to get a reprieve from one of their most significant points of tension with the Trump administration. The Supreme Court struck down a substantial portion of President Donald Trump’s global tariff regime, ruling that the constitutional power to impose taxes resides with Congress, not the executive branch.

Many Republicans initially greeted the decision with measured statements. Some even praised the ruling, with party leaders indicating they would work collaboratively with Trump on tariff policy moving forward. However, the apparent détente quickly dissolved.

By Friday afternoon, Trump made it clear he had no intention of working with Congress on tariff issues. Instead, he announced plans to impose a new global 10% import tax unilaterally. He escalated the situation further on Saturday morning, declaring he would raise that tariff to 15%.

“I have the right to do tariffs, and I’ve always had the right to do tariffs,” Trump asserted at a news conference, adding that congressional approval was unnecessary.

Trump is implementing these new tariffs under the Trade Act of 1974, which grants the president authority to impose temporary import taxes when there are “large and serious United States balance-of-payments deficits” or other international payment problems. This provision limits such tariffs to 150 days and has never been invoked in this manner, making it legally untested.

The move could have far-reaching implications for the global economy and ensures that Republicans will continue facing questions about Trump’s tariff policies as midterm elections approach.

Tariffs represent one of the few areas where the Republican-controlled Congress has openly broken with Trump. Both the House and Senate have passed resolutions intended to rebuke the tariffs imposed on trading partners like Canada, reflecting how many veteran Republican lawmakers—who came of age in a party that championed free trade—disagree with Trump’s protectionist approach.

“The empty merits of sweeping trade wars with America’s friends were evident long before today’s decision,” said Senator Mitch McConnell, the former longtime Senate Republican leader. In his statement, McConnell noted that tariffs raise housing prices and disrupt other industries crucial to his home state of Kentucky.

The political consequences for dissent are already evident. On Saturday, Trump announced via his Truth Social platform that he was rescinding his endorsement of Colorado Representative Jeff Hurd for reelection due to Hurd’s opposition to the tariffs. Trump instead threw his support behind Hurd’s Republican primary challenger, Hope Scheppelman.

“Congressman Hurd is one of a small number of Legislators who have let me and our Country down,” Trump wrote. “He is more interested in protecting Foreign Countries that have been ripping us off for decades than he is the United States of America.”

Democrats see an opportunity in this Republican division. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer stated that Trump’s new tariffs “will still raise people’s costs and they will hurt the American people as much as his old tariffs did.” Democrats have challenged Republicans to stop Trump from imposing the new global tariff and called for refunds to American consumers for tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court.

“The American people paid for these tariffs and the American people should get their money back,” Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts said on social media.

The economic impact of tariffs has been documented by institutions like the JPMorganChase Institute, which found that midsize U.S. businesses have absorbed import taxes by passing them to customers through higher prices, reducing their workforce, or accepting diminished profits.

The tariff issue also highlights a generational divide within the Republican Party. A younger cohort of Republicans fiercely backs Trump’s “America First” protectionism, hoping it will revive American manufacturing, while older party members tend to adhere to traditional free trade principles.

Senator Bernie Moreno, a freshman Republican from Ohio, criticized the Supreme Court’s ruling and urged GOP lawmakers to “codify the tariffs that had made our country the hottest country on earth!”

Meanwhile, Representative Don Bacon, a Republican critic of the administration who is not seeking reelection, celebrated the Court’s decision, writing on social media that “Congress must stand on its own two feet, take tough votes and defend its authorities.” Bacon predicted increased Republican pushback against Trump’s tariff policies.

Earlier this month, Bacon and several GOP colleagues were instrumental in forcing a House vote on Trump’s tariffs on Canada. As that measure passed with bipartisan support, Trump vowed political retribution against any Republicans who opposed his tariff plans—a promise he has now begun to fulfill.