Washington DC: US President Donald Trump on Sunday defended his administration’s aggressive tariff regime, arguing it strengthens national security, as the Supreme Court prepares to weigh whether he overstepped presidential authority by imposing sweeping duties under emergency powers.
Trump and First Lady Melania Trump made a red-carpet appearance at the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, where the president spoke to reporters about trade policy. He said the flexibility of his current tariff framework has given the United States a strategic edge, particularly on security matters.
“We have tremendous flexibility with the current system. It’s unbelievable for national security,” Trump said. He added that trade pressure, including tariffs, had helped him resolve global conflicts. “I’ve ended eight wars, largely because of trade and because of tariffs.”
The remarks came as the Supreme Court is set to examine whether Trump violated federal law by invoking the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, to impose broad tariffs during his second term. A ruling is expected in the coming weeks.
Since returning to office in January, Trump has repeatedly imposed, paused and reinstated tariffs on multiple trading partners. The measures have raised costs on a wide range of imports, including home appliances, lumber and electrical components, prompting concern among businesses and consumers.
A coalition of companies and trade associations has challenged the tariffs in court, arguing that the president improperly treated IEEPA as a catch-all authority for trade action. The law is traditionally used to address specific national emergencies, not broad economic policy, they contend.
Trump has rejected that criticism, insisting the approach is both lawful and effective. In a post on his Truth Social platform, he said the administration has other ways to impose tariffs if necessary, but argued that the current method is the most efficient.
“While the United States has other methods of charging TARIFFS against foreign countries, many of whom have, for YEARS, TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF OUR NATION, the current method of Tariffing before the United States Supreme Court is far more DIRECT, LESS CUMBERSOME, and MUCH FASTER,” Trump wrote.
The president also asserted expansive executive authority over national security and foreign policy, repeating his claim that he had “settled 8 Wars in 10 months because of the rights clearly given to the President of the United States.”
Behind the scenes, the administration is preparing for the possibility that the court may rein in its tariff powers. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the government has developed a contingency plan to preserve the existing trade structure if the current legal approach is struck down.
“We can recreate the exact tariff structure with 301s, with 232s, with the I think they’re called 122s,” Bessent said, referring to sections of US trade law that authorize different types of import restrictions.
Section 301 allows tariffs in response to unfair foreign trade practices, Section 232 permits duties on imports deemed a threat to national security, and Section 122 authorizes temporary tariffs or quotas during balance-of-payments emergencies.
Bessent warned that an adverse Supreme Court decision could have significant financial consequences. If the justices overturn the tariffs, the government may be forced to issue large refunds to companies that paid the duties, he said.
“That would mean massive refunds and returning money already booked as federal revenue,” Bessent added, noting the potential fiscal and administrative strain on the Treasury.
The high court’s decision could reshape the future of US trade policy and test the limits of presidential power in using emergency authority to reshape global commerce.
