Supreme Court ruling offers little relief for Republicans divided on Trump's tariffs

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., , center, stops to talk to reporters just after lawmakers pushed a $95 billion national security aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies closer to passage, at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, April 19, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

For a few hours on Friday, congressional Republicans seemed to get some relief from one of the largest points of friction they have had with the Trump administration. It didn’t last.

The Supreme Court struck down a significant portion of President Donald Trump’s global tariff regime, ruling that the power to impose taxes lies with Congress. Many Republicans greeted the Friday morning decision with measured statements, some even praising it, and GOP leaders said they would work with Trump on tariffs going forward.

But by the afternoon, Trump made clear he had no intention of working with Congress and would instead go it alone by imposing a new global 10% import tax. On Saturday morning, he said he’d raise that new tariff from 10% to 15%. He’s doing so under a law that restricts the tariffs to 150 days and has never been invoked this way before. That decision could not only have major implications for the global economy, but also ensure that Republicans will have to keep answering for Trump’s tariffs for months to come, especially as the midterm elections near.