Treasury Chief says Supreme Court is unlikely to overrule Trump's ‘signature economic policy’
President Donald Trump has faced both criticism and scrutiny over the way he has imposed tariffs against countries across the globe. But it turns out that he can use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose tariffs on European countries. Reports say that the IEEPA allows the President to use economic tools to respond to an emergency or an extraordinary threat. This is exactly why the US Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, believes the Supreme Court won’t stand in the way of Trump and his tariffs.
Bessent was speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press when he addressed the imminent ruling, saying, “I believe that it is very unlikely that the Supreme Court will overrule a president’s signature economic policy.” He then went on to add, “They did not overrule Obamacare, I believe that the Supreme Court does not want to create chaos.” Trump has also claimed that the Supreme Court overturning his tariffs will lead to a complete mess.
On April 2, 2025, President Trump announced that he was imposing tariffs on imported goods from several European nations, including Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. These tariffs will come into effect at 10% on February 1 before jumping to 25% on June 1. Now, it’s up to the Supreme Court to decide whether the President can use the authority of the IEEPA to impose such tariffs.
Bessent also believes that Trump’s tariffs regarding Greenland fall into the category of responding to an emergency. “The national emergency is avoiding a national emergency,” the Treasury Secretary said, before adding, “It is a strategic decision by the president ... he is able to use the economic might of the U.S. to avoid a hot war.” However, the EU has rejected Trump's claim over Greenland and is determined to defend the region’s sovereignty.
Responding to the unprecedented tariffs by President Trump, the leaders of the European nations put forward a joint statement, stating, “We stand in full solidarity with the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland. Building on the process begun last week, we stand ready to engage in a dialogue based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity that we stand firmly behind.” In fact, United States Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio even had a constructive meeting with officials from Greenland and Denmark, following which they agreed to plan Greenland’s future together.
Despite that, the tariffs still stand, unless the Supreme Court decides to overturn them in the ruling that should arrive anytime after Tuesday. On top of it, Trump has announced that he is ready to impose additional tariffs on the European nations until the United States reaches a deal for “the complete and total purchase of Greenland.”
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