In a deeply controversial6–3 decision released Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that President Donald Trump’s use of the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose sweeping global tariffs exceeded presidential authority.

Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, argued that the statutory language allowing a president to “regulate importation” does not include the power to impose tariffs, a form of ‘taxation’ that the Court says rests with Congress.

But according to respected legal analyst Jonathan Turley, this ruling isfar from the end of the roadfor Trump’s America-First trade agenda.

As Turley noted, the writing was already on the wall during oral arguments back in November 2025, when Chief Justice Roberts repeatedly referred to tariffs as a tax.But what the majority framed as a separation-of-powers issue, dissenting justices warned could now trigger:

The Court notably declined to address whether the U.S. must return billions already collected under the tariffs, leaving yet another economic landmine unresolved.

During his interview on Fox News, Turley confirmed that while the Court’s decision is outrageous to those who believe in a strong executive defense of the economy, President Trump still holds a “massive tariff toolbox” that can bypass this specific judicial hurdle.

Jonathan Turley:“It is indeed, and this is what some of us predicted. This was a case where the administration was at a disadvantage. AIPA does not refer to tariffs, and tariffs are a big deal under the Constitution. It’s a critical form of revenue that is left to Congress.

I thought that the administration did a terrific job in front of the Supreme Court. They could not have argued this case better, in my view, but you can’t really escape that language. Right out of the bat, when that oral argument began, Chief Justice John Roberts said, “This is a tax.”

You could almost hear the administration gulping, because that’s not what they wanted the justices to take from their argument. But Roberts and others clearly view this as a tax that rests with Congress.

Now, there’s a lot of runway still for the administration. We have to really get into this opinion—into some of the weeds—to see if it is prospective only. But also, the administration has other tools in its toolbox. It can actually impose tariffs under other statutes. So this night is hardly over for the administration when it comes to tariffs.”

Source: The Gateway Pundit