Trump Raises Tariffs to 15%, Calls Supreme Court Ruling “Poorly Written and Anti-American”

President Trump launched a fierce counterattack Saturday after the Supreme Court invalidated his flagship tariff policy, announcing a 15% universal levy on all imports and dismissing the court’s ruling as “ridiculous, poorly written, and extraordinarily anti-American.” The announcement, posted on Truth Social, marked one of the most combative presidential responses to a Supreme Court ruling in modern history.
The court had ruled 6-3 on Friday that Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose broad tariffs was unconstitutional, requiring a level of congressional authorization the president had never sought. Rather than concede the point, Trump immediately pivoted to Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, a provision that allows tariffs of up to 15% for 150 days before Congress must weigh in. No president has ever previously used this law.
Trump’s Truth Social post was unapologetic in tone, describing foreign nations as having “ripped” the United States off for decades without consequence. He framed the 15% rate as rightful, lawful, and long overdue. His administration indicated it would use the 150-day window to develop a legally durable, longer-term tariff framework that could survive future court scrutiny.
European leaders were alarmed. Germany’s Chancellor Merz said he would travel to Washington with a unified European position, warning that tariff uncertainty was acting as economic “poison” on both sides of the Atlantic. France’s Macron praised the Supreme Court’s original ruling as evidence that democratic systems of checks and balances remain functional. The UK, which had separately agreed to a 10% rate, now faces the new 15% baseline alongside every other nation.
American businesses have borne approximately 90% of the $130 billion in tariffs collected so far, and the British Chamber of Commerce warned that the new rate would further damage trade and weaken global economic growth. Exemptions apply to critical minerals, metals, pharmaceuticals, and USMCA-compliant goods from Canada and Mexico. Sector-specific levies on steel, aluminum, lumber, and autos remain fully in effect under separate legal authority.