On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in *Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump*, a case that challenges President Donald Trump’s authority to unilaterally impose steep new tariffs under the Emergency Powers Act of 1977.
The plaintiff in the case argues that Trump, without Congress’s input, is enacting a policy that harms his business. Trump, however, contends that these tariffs are vital to the country’s economic well-being.
According to Axios’ Courtenay Brown, Trump described the tariffs as a “life or death” matter for the United States. “President Trump claimed on Tuesday that the U.S. would be ‘virtually defenseless’ against other nations if the Supreme Court strikes down a slew of tariffs,” Brown reports.
Why it matters: Trump’s comments come just one day before the highest court hears oral arguments challenging the legality of a key part of his economic agenda. While Trump officials have downplayed the potential fallout of a loss—saying the administration would step in to reimpose any tariffs overturned by the Supreme Court using other trade authorities—Trump himself has warned for months that a loss would be economically devastating, even though the U.S. had long survived without such high tariffs for nearly a century.
On his Truth Social platform, Trump posted:
> “Tomorrow’s United States Supreme Court case is, literally, LIFE OR DEATH for our Country. With a Victory, we have tremendous, but fair, Financial and National Security. Without it, we are virtually defenseless against other Countries who have, for years, taken advantage of us. Our Stock Market is consistently hitting Record Highs, and our Country has never been more respected than it is right now. A big part of this is the Economic Security created by Tariffs, and the Deals that we have negotiated because of them.”
Brown notes that the Supreme Court’s decision “could curb Trump’s powers or open the door for Trump and future presidents to use the emergency powers to bypass Congress.” The ruling will have significant implications for the balance of power between the executive branch and Congress in trade policy moving forward.
https://www.rawstory.com/donald-trump-supreme-court-2674265684/