The White House strongly criticized a U.S. federal court ruling that blocked former President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff measures, calling the decision an overreach by the judiciary into presidential authority on foreign affairs and national security.
During a press briefing on Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt rebuked the U.S. Court of International Trade’s ruling, asserting that the court had disregarded the president’s constitutional and congressional powers to implement trade policies in the nation’s interest.
“These judges failed to acknowledge that the president of the United States has core foreign affairs powers and authority granted by Congress to protect our economy and national security,” Leavitt stated. “The courts should have no role here.”
Leavitt went further, warning of a “troubling and dangerous trend” of what she described as unelected judges intervening in sensitive executive matters, including diplomatic and trade negotiations.
“America cannot function if President Trump — or any other president — has their diplomatic or trade negotiations railroaded by activist judges,” she added. “President Trump is in the process of rebalancing America’s trade agreements, bringing in tens of billions in tariff revenue, and putting an end to decades of economic exploitation.”
She also accused the judiciary of undermining U.S. credibility on the global stage. “These judges are jeopardizing our standing in the world and weakening the president’s hand in negotiations.”
The Biden administration has responded swiftly, filing an emergency motion for a stay pending appeal, along with an immediate administrative stay, in a bid to overturn what it called an “egregious” decision. Leavitt emphasized that the administration expects the Supreme Court to ultimately resolve the issue in favor of presidential authority.
The court decision in question, issued by the U.S. Court of International Trade in Manhattan, struck down much of the Trump-era tariff regime. The court ruled that the broad imposition of tariffs — including those based on emergency economic powers — exceeded the president’s legal authority and posed significant implications for a wide range of imported goods.
According to CNN, the ruling affects major tariffs such as the 30% duties on Chinese imports, 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada, and a 10% general tariff on other imports. However, it does not impact levies on automobiles, steel, and aluminum, which were implemented under a separate law — the U.S. Trade Expansion Act.
As the legal battle escalates, the ruling raises critical questions about the limits of presidential power in shaping trade policy, setting the stage for a potentially landmark decision by the Supreme Court.
