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Mar 12, 2026

McConnell Praises SCOTUS Ruling Against Trump’s Authority on Tariffs..PS

Supreme Court Blocks Trump Tariffs, McConnell Says Ruling Reasserts Congress’ Constitutional Power

WASHINGTON — Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Friday that a major Supreme Court ruling rejecting former President Donald Trump’s use of emergency powers to impose sweeping tariffs reinforces a core constitutional principle: Congress—not the president—controls taxes and trade policy.

The court’s 6–3 decision concluded that the Trump administration unlawfully used the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose certain tariffs on foreign goods. Writing for the majority in Learning Resources Inc. v. Trump, Chief Justice John Roberts said the statute does not authorize a president to impose broad tariffs under emergency powers.

McConnell said the decision confirms a constitutional balance that has existed since the nation’s founding.

“Congress’ role in trade policy, as I have warned repeatedly, is not an inconvenience to avoid,” McConnell said in a statement Friday. “If the executive would like to enact trade policies that impact American producers and consumers, its path forward is crystal clear: convince their representatives under Article I.”

The ruling represents a major legal setback for Trump’s aggressive tariff strategy, which relied heavily on executive authority rather than congressional approval.

GOP Divide on Tariffs

McConnell has previously opposed some of the administration’s tariff actions. In October, he joined three Republican senators—Susan Collins of Maine, Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska—in supporting a Senate resolution urging the administration to repeal tariffs imposed on foreign nations.

That resolution passed the Senate 51–47 on October 30, reflecting growing frustration among lawmakers as American businesses and consumers increasingly voiced concerns about rising costs tied to the tariffs.

Manufacturers and retailers had warned that broad tariffs could raise prices, disrupt supply chains, and place additional financial pressure on U.S. consumers.

Trump Responds to Court

Speaking to reporters in the White House briefing room Friday, Trump sharply criticized the conservative justices who joined the court’s liberal wing to strike down his tariff policy.

He also signaled he has little interest in pursuing a legislative compromise with Congress.

Within hours of the decision, Trump moved forward with a new trade action—imposing a 10 percent global tariff using a different legal authority.

The executive order relies on Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, which allows the president to impose tariffs of up to 15 percent for a period of 150 days to address what the law describes as “large and serious” trade deficits.

In a Saturday post on Truth Social, Trump suggested the tariffs could soon increase to the full 15 percent permitted under the statute.

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