‘WE’RE SCREWED’: Trump warns Supreme Court ruling against tariffs would be ‘complete mess’

US President Donald Trump on Monday (Jan 12) said that the United States would be “screwed” if the Supreme Court ruled that some of his tariffs are illegal. He added that the move would be a “complete mess” as hundreds of billions of dollars would have to be paid back to US companies, an amount that would be “almost impossible” for the United States to pay. He further claimed that “America shines brightly, the World shines brightly.”

“The actual numbers that we would have to pay back if, for any reason, the Supreme Court were to rule against the United States of America on Tariffs, would be many Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, and that doesn’t include the amount of ‘payback’ that Countries and Companies would require for the Investments they are making on building Plants, Factories, and Equipment, for the purpose of being able to avoid the payment of Tariffs,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

He further added, “When these Investments are added, we are talking about Trillions of Dollars! It would be a complete mess, and almost impossible for our Country to pay. Anybody who says that it can be quickly and easily done would be making a false, inaccurate, or totally misunderstood answer to this very large and complex question. It may not be possible but, if it were, it would be Dollars that would be so large that it would take many years to figure out what number we are talking about and even, who, when, and where, to pay.”

“Remember, when America shines brightly, the World shines brightly. In other words, if the Supreme Court rules against the United States of America on this National Security bonanza, WE’RE SCREWED!” Trump said.

The Supreme Court is expected to release opinions on Wednesday, with the tariffs case having a possibility of being among the rulings. The case was argued last year in November in the Court. During the arguments, several justices appeared sceptical of Trump invoking the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose tariffs on trade partners of the US, including Mexico, Canada and China, over their alleged roles in illicit drug flows.

Trump’s policies have brought the US tariff rate to its highest since the 1930s. He has also repeatedly warned of calamity if the duties are overturned. Notably, the court’s decision will not impact sector-specific tariffs imposed, including on steel, aluminium, and automobiles.