President Donald Trump has lashed out at critics of his sweeping international tariffs, saying the United States needs them for its “economic survival.”
Why It Matters
Trump has spoken out about tariffs amid several legal battles challenging his use of national emergency powers to levy tariffs on American trading partners.
While a federal trade court ruled Trump’s use of those powers was improper, an appeals court allowed the tariffs to remain temporarily in place while legal proceedings continue.
The issue has implications for both the global economy and defining the limits of presidential power in the U.S.
What To Know
Writing on Truth Social on Monday, the president said: “If other Countries are allowed to use Tariffs against us, and we’re not allowed to counter them, quickly and nimbly, with Tariffs against them, our Country doesn’t have, even a small chance, of Economic survival.”
In a separate post, he said: “Because of Tariffs, our Economy is BOOMING!”
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Prince George’s County, Maryland, on May 30, 2025.
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Prince George’s County, Maryland, on May 30, 2025.
AP
This comes after the Trump administration asked a U.S. appeals court on Monday for a pause in a court ruling challenging his tariffs.
Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs were first declared illegal by the Manhattan-based U.S. Court of International Trade on May 28.
The next day, a federal court in Washington, D.C., found that the tariffs exceeded the president’s authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
Trump won a temporary pause on the first court ruling, allowing him to reinstate tariffs, and the court is set to rule on a longer-term pause later in June, Reuters reported.
What People Are Saying
Trump previously said on Truth Social: “Hopefully, the Supreme Court will reverse this horrible, Country threatening decision, QUICKLY and DECISIVELY. Backroom ‘hustlers’ must not be allowed to destroy our Nation!
“The horrific decision stated that I would have to get the approval of Congress for these Tariffs. In other words, hundreds of politicians would sit around D.C. for weeks, and even months, trying to come to a conclusion as to what to charge other Countries that are treating us unfairly.
“If allowed to stand, this would completely destroy Presidential Power — The Presidency would never be the same!”
Republican Nebraska Representative Don Bacon wrote on X on Friday: “Article One Section Eight gives Congress the power over taxes and tariffs. The Constitution is clear.”
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether a longer-term pause on the first court ruling against Trump’s tariffs will be granted. It is also yet to be seen whether the second pause his administration has requested will be allowed.