Trump announces new 10% global tariff; says ‘absolutely ashamed’ of US Supreme Court

President Donald Trump lashed out at the US Supreme Court on Friday (Feb 20) after it struck down the tariffs he had imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), saying it "does not authorise the President to impose tariffs." The US president said the decision is “deeply disappointing,” and "I am absolutely ashamed of certain members of the court" for not having “the courage to do what is right for our country.” He hailed the dissenting judges as patriots.

Calling the judges who ruled against the tariffs ‘very unpatriotic’, Trump said, "In my opinion, the court has been swayed by foreign interest," adding that "Foreign countries are so happy and dancing on the street, and I can assure you - they won't dance longer," Trump said at a press conference after the verdict.

Trump said, “This was an important case to me, more as economic security for the country" and threatened, ”I want to be very well. I understand how they are swayed away easily. I want to be a good boy.”

Mounting an attack on the apex court, the US president said, “I won by a million votes by landside despite the cheating “There was a lot of cheating.” Referring to Democrats and people opposed to his policies, he said, "These people are obnoxious, ignorant and loud, and certain justice is afraid of it.”

He repeated his rhetoric of being a "president of peace", stating that “I settled eight wars, including India and Pakistan,” even if "you like it or not."

Trump announces new 10 per cent global tariff

Trump vowed to use other methods to reinstate sweeping tariffs that the Supreme Court struck down. “Other alternatives will now be used to replace the ones that the court incorrectly rejected,” adding that these options could also bring in more revenue.

The US president announced that he was imposing an extra global tariff of 10 per cent on US trade partners.

"The Supreme Court's decision today made a president's ability to both regulate trade and impose tariffs more powerful and more crystal clear, rather than less," he said.

These remarks come after, the Supreme Court earlier in the day ruled, against Donald Trump's tariffs, saying that the US president has exceeded his authority in imposing sweeping duties that disrupted global trade. The decision blocks Trump from using tariffs as a tool, which he used freely to achieve political goals and renegotiate trade deals with countries aligned with his economic agenda.

On April 2, 2025, a date he famously proclaimed as "Liberation Day," President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14257 to launch the most aggressive trade policy in modern American history.

Invoking the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) by declaring a national emergency over the US trade deficit, the administration imposed a universal 10% baseline tariff on nearly all global imports. This framework also introduced "reciprocal" duties reaching as high as 50% for major trading partners, aiming to counteract foreign trade barriers and revitalise domestic manufacturing.