U.S. President Donald Trump lashed out at a federal appeals court ruling that invalidated several of his administration’s tariffs, warning that without them, the country would be “completely destroyed” and its military power “instantly obliterated.”
In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump denounced what he called a “Radical Left group of judges” for their 7–4 decision but praised one Democratic judge, appointed by former President Barack Obama, who voted in favor of upholding the tariffs.
“Without tariffs, and all of the trillions of dollars we have already taken in, our country would be completely destroyed, and our military power would be instantly obliterated,” Trump wrote, thanking the lone Democratic judge for his “courage” and “love” for the United States.
The sharp remarks followed Friday’s ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which concluded that Trump exceeded his authority by invoking emergency powers to impose import duties. The court held that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not allow the kind of tariffs enacted by the administration, describing the move as an unprecedented overreach of executive power.
The judges also noted that the U.S. Constitution grants Congress—not the President—the authority to levy taxes and tariffs.
Despite the ruling, Trump insisted his tariffs remain in place. “ALL TARIFFS ARE STILL IN EFFECT!” he declared on Truth Social, dismissing the decision as “highly partisan” and claiming that removing tariffs would make the U.S. “financially weak.”
For now, the tariffs will stay in effect, as the court has delayed enforcement of its ruling until October. This gives the Trump administration time to appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.
