Shortly after The Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s far-reaching global tariffs on Friday, the president told the media he plans to use “other alternatives” to enact his sweeping tariffs.

“We have alternatives. Great alternatives,” Trump said in a press conference after the court ruling handed him a significant loss on an issue crucial to his economic agenda.

The court’s 6-3 decision centers on the tariffs Trump unilaterally imposed under an emergency powers law, including the sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs levied on nearly every other country.

It’s the first major piece of Trump’s broad agenda to come squarely before the nation’s highest court, which he helped shape with the appointments of three conservative jurists in his first term.

The majority found that the Constitution “very clearly” gives Congress the power to impose taxes, which include tariffs. “The Framers did not vest any part of the taxing power in the Executive Branch,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote.

“The tariffs at issue here may or may not be wise policy. But as a matter of text, history, and precedent, they are clearly lawful,” Kavanaugh wrote in the dissent.

The Latest:

Trump says he has ‘great alternatives’ to tariffs the high court opposed

Trump says “other alternatives will now be used to replace” his sweeping tariffs that the Supreme Court rejected.

“We have alternatives. Great alternatives,” Trump said.

He said the ruling opened the door to allow him to go in “probably a direction that I should have gone in the first time.”

Trump also suggested the ruling may not “substantially constrain” tariffs going forward and mentioned using the Trade Expansion Act and other past laws, including the Tariff Act of 1930 going forward.

He said those alternatives would simple mean a “little bit longer” process.

Trump also scoffed at his ability to order full economic embargoes against countries, but not raise tariffs.

“How ridiculous is that?” he asked.

Trump calls GOP-appointed justices who supported tariff ruling ‘fools and lapdogs’

By name Trump thanked Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh “for their strength and wisdom and love of our country” in dissenting from the majority to uphold his tariff policies.

And of the more liberal justices who opposed him, Trump said “you can’t knock their loyalty,” even though he disagrees with their views.

But of more conservatives justices who voted to knock down his tariffs — Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch — Trump said, “they’re just being fools and lapdogs for the RINOs and radical left Democrats.”

Without naming them, Trump referred to the jurists by their action as “very unpatriotic and disloyal to our Constitution.”

Trump says he will rely on other laws to continue his tariffs

The president cited other sections of federal law that give him clearer power to impose tariffs, though those methods involve a more complex and bureaucratic process to impose the taxes on imports instead of the way Trump was quickly firing them off.

“Their decision is incorrect. But it doesn’t matter because we have very powerful alternatives,” Trump said.

He called it, “a little bit longer process,” and said his first attempt to impose tariffs was to try to “make things simple. But they didn’t let us do that.

Which of Trump’s tariffs are being struck down by the Supreme Court?

Friday’s decision upends a core set of tariffs that Trump imposed using the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA. That includes the “Liberation Day” tariffs the president slapped on nearly every country in the world last spring — as well as other IEEPA-based levies he imposed on Canada, Mexico and China. Trump also cited IEEPA to impose additional tariffs on Brazil over the trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro, and on India over its purchases of Russian oil.

Despite Friday’s ruling, other sweeping levies remain in place. Trump used another law — Section 232 of the 1962 Trade Expansion Act — to slap sectoral tariffs on steel and aluminum, cars, copper, lumber and products like kitchen cabinets worldwide. And the president has plenty of other options to keep taxing imports aggressively.

Republican senators praise Supreme Court decision against Trump’s tariff policies, call for Congress to reassert role

“As a matter of policy, the empty merits of sweeping trade wars with America’s friends were evident long before today’s decision,” Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said in a statement. “But as a matter of Constitutional authority, there is now no room for doubt: the use of IEEPA to circumvent Congress in the imposition of tariffs — already without precedent — is also illegal.”

“If the executive would like to enact trade policies that impact American producers and consumers, its path forward is crystal clear: convince their representatives under Article 1,” said the former Republican Senate leader.

Other senators also chimed in approvingly after the court’s decision.

“Today’s Supreme Court ruling reaffirms that only Congress has the constitutional authority to impose tariffs, and the President can only do so under a clear and limited delegation of authority from Congress,” Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine wrote on social media.

Republican Sen. John Curtis of Utah declared “that the Founders’ system of checks and balances remains strong nearly 250 years later.” But Curtis noted that the tariff saga may not be over.

“Several questions remain unanswered, including what happens to the revenue already collected and how the administration may use alternative authorities to impose tariffs,” said Curtis.

National trade advocacy group applauds the ruling and urges the administration to refund tariff revenues

The National Foreign Trade Council applauded the court ruling and urged the Trump administration to refund tariff revenue and change its approach.

“It’s a relief to see the Supreme Court unequivocally decide that IEEPA did not provide the authority for the administration to impose more than $133 billion in tariffs on American businesses and consumers,” said Jake Colvin, president of the council. “We hope the administration will seize this opportunity to recalibrate its approach rather than rushing to replicate some or all of the tariffs through other means.”

The council urged the administration to “identify a low-burden and automated administrative process to return tariff revenue to U.S. importers quickly and efficiently.”

Trump calls ruling ‘deeply disappointing’

Trump told a news conference he’s “absolutely ashamed” of justices who voted to strike down his tariffs, calling the decision “deeply disappointing.”

It’s the first major piece of Trump’s broad agenda to come squarely before the nation’s highest court, which he helped shape with the appointments of three conservative jurists in his first term.

Trump called the majority decision “a disgrace” when he was notified during his morning meeting with several governors, according to someone with direct knowledge of the president’s reaction who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private conversation.

Trump was meeting privately with nearly two dozen governors from both parties when the decision was released. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Speaker Johnson says Congress and Trump to find path forward on tariffs in ‘coming weeks’

House Speaker Mike Johnson backed Trump’s use of tariffs in a post on social media after the Supreme Court ruling, saying they had “brought in billions of dollars and created immense leverage for America’s trade strategy.”

In the Supreme Court ruling, the majority found that it’s unconstitutional for the president to unilaterally set and change tariffs because taxation power clearly belongs to Congress.

“Congress and the Administration will determine the best path forward in the coming weeks,” Johnson wrote on X.

Some GOP welcome the decision, but may back Trump on future tariffs

A GOP Congressman who voted for to impeach Trump says the Supreme Court decision rightly takes back power from the executive branch on tariffs.

Washington Republican Rep. Dan Newhouse said in a statement that the ruling “restores balance between the legislative and executive branches,” adding that he’s committed to working with Trump on targeted tariffs “to secure trade deals that put American farmers, businesses, and consumers first.”

Washington state is home to the headquarters of Costco, one of the companies most critical of the tariffs.

Newhouse is one of the two GOP representatives to vote to impeach President Trump during his first term and be reelected. Earlier this year, he welcomed the Trump administration’s move to effectively lower wages for immigrant farmworkers.

Newhouse announced that he is not seeking reelection.

Consumer Brands Association calls the ruling pivotal

The Consumer Brands Association, which represents food and beverage companies like PepsiCo as well as makers of personal care products like Proctor & Gamble, called the ruling “a pivotal moment in trade policy.”

The group said its members source up to 90% of ingredients and inputs from U.S. farms and suppliers. But inputs like tin mill steel — which remains subject to a 50% tariff — are not produced domestically in sufficient quantities, the group said.

“Consumer Brands encourages the Trump administration to continue looking at supply chain limitations and ensuring the availability and affordability of key unavailable natural resources,” Consumer Brands President and CEO Melissa Hockstad said in a statement.

Wall Street keeps calm after the ruling

The S&P 500 was 0.1% higher in midday trading. It had been flipping between small gains and losses before the court’s ruling, following discouraging reports showing slowing growth for the U.S. economy and faster inflation.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 125 points, or 0.3%, as of 12:30 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.3% higher.

Many on Wall Street were likely expecting such a ruling from the Supreme Court, according to Brian Jacobsen, chief economic strategist at Annex Wealth Management. That likely led to the relatively muted reactions across financial markets, and trading remained tentative as investors tried to suss out the long-term effects.

Tariff decision likely to have small impact on inflation

Consumers probably won’t see much reduction in overall prices as a result of the Supreme Court’s decision.

Inflation did not rise by as much as many economists expected when Trump announced his most sweeping tariffs in April. That’s partly because many of the “Liberation Day” duties were later rolled back, delayed, or negotiated downward. Trump also exempted products such as beef, coffee, and auto parts from his tariffs. And many large companies have eaten much of the cost, rather than pass them to consumers.

Still, the Federal Reserve estimates that inflation is about a half-percentage point higher than it would be without the tariffs. Its preferred inflation gauge is still elevated, coming in at 2.9% in December from a year earlier. Over time, the decision could slightly reduce prices for cars, furniture, clothes, and other items, where prices did rise after duties were imposed.

For some industries, the Supreme Court’s decision provides relief for some products but not for others

In a memo to its members Friday, the Home Furnishings Association noted that the decision leaves many Trump administration tariffs in effect, including those on steel, upholstered furniture, kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities. Certain tariffs on products from China also remain in place, the association said.

“As always, our advocacy is focused on promoting trade policies that provide stability, predictability, and fairness—protecting retailers from unnecessary financial burdens while supporting strong, competitive supply chains that benefit businesses and consumers alike,” said the association, which represents 15,000 furniture stores in North America.

United Steelworkers union urges Congress to revamp the US trade system

The United Steelworkers, the labor union whose members work at U.S. Steel and Cleveland-Cliffs plants, urged Congress to revamp the U.S. trade system by using tariffs “strategically.”

It said tariffs should be used to protect American workers, not to punish allies like Canada. It also called on Congress to restore funding to programs to help American workers who lose their jobs because of unfair foreign trade.

“It’s an excess of short-term thinking and free trade ideology that got us into this mess. Now, we need sustainable solutions,” the union said in a statement.

The U.S. steel industry has enjoyed a period of expansion under tariffs adopted by the Biden and Trump administrations, analysts say.

Major technology trade groups hail the Supreme Court decision

They predicted the decision will help minimize price increases and disruptions in the intricate supply chains for the computers, smartphones, televisions and other gadgets ingrained in modern life.

“Innovation thrives on predictability, and this common-sense decision brings much-needed clarity for American businesses and consumers,” said Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, which represents more than 2,000 companies. “Now, the government must act quickly to refund retailers and importers without red tape or delay.”

The Computer & Communications Industry Association, which represents a spectrum of technology companies employing more than 1.6 million people, also expressed hope that the decision will ease the trade tensions that have been tormenting tech.

“This Supreme Court decision caps a year of turbulence in trade policy that we are all working to adapt to. With this decision behind us, we look forward to bringing more stability to trade policy,” said Jonathan McHale, the Computer & Communications Industry Association’s vice president for digital trade.

Tariff elimination on distilled spirits could provide needed certainty for American spirits exporters

Chris Swonger, president and CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council urged the Trump administration to use the Supreme Court ruling as an opportunity to return to “zero-for-zero tariffs” on spirits products with major trading partners including the United Kingdom and European Union.

“The elimination of tariffs on distilled spirits would provide much needed certainty for American spirits exporters while helping ease financial pressures on bars, restaurants and retailers at a time when affordability remains a major concern for consumers.”

Many Americans felt Trump had overstepped on tariffs: poll

About 6 in 10 Americans said Trump had “gone too far” on imposing new tariffs on other countries, according to an AP-NORC poll from January.

About 9 in 10 Democrats and roughly 6 in 10 independents said Trump had overstepped, compared to 25% of Republicans.

The tariffs have been unpopular for much of Trump’s first year back in office. Roughly half of U.S. adults said they were opposed to imposing tariffs on all goods brought into the U.S. in an AP-NORC poll from last April. Only about 3 in 10 favored them, and roughly 2 in 10 were neutral.

Possibly more worrisome for a president elected on the promise of fixing Americans’ affordability concerns, 76% in the April poll thought Trump’s tariff policies would increase the cost of U.S. consumer goods.

US ambassador calls the tariff decision a ‘victory for the Constitution’

Norm Eisen, a former U.S. ambassador to the Czech Republic who was a legal adviser to Democrats during Trump’s first impeachment, called the tariff decision a “victory for the Constitution and for Congress’ Article I authority over taxes and tariffs. The International Emergency Economic Powers Act provides limited authority to the President to take actions to regulate imports to respond to unusual and extraordinary threats.”

Eisen, the executive chair of the Democracy Defenders Fund, said in a statement that the administration had tried to distort the emergency powers act to address routine trade deficits and disagreements “and the Supreme Court correctly smacked that down.”

Economist: Tariff ruling to provide modest benefit to businesses

Sarah House, a senior economist at Wells Fargo, said the ruling will provide some additional certainty for companies, many of which have already adjusted to the tariffs, by shifting their supply chains to lower-tariffs countries.

The additional certainty could lead to modestly higher investment and job creation by businesses, after they slammed the brakes on hiring last year in part because of tariff uncertainty. The economy added less than 200,000 jobs in 2025, the government said last week, the fewest since the pandemic.

“Uncertainty hasn’t gone away,” she cautioned. “There are still a lot of questions out there: What about refunds? What other statutes will the administration use to impose the tariffs? Will your products fall under those?”

Mexico’s president on tariff ruling: ‘We’re going to wait and see its reach’

In Mexico, which has been vigorously negotiating on tariffs with the administration, President Claudia Sheinbaum noted the ruling in her morning press briefing, saying “We’re going to wait and see its reach.”

Mexico, whose biggest trading partner is the U.S., has been able to dodge the brunt of the tariffs by more aggressively going after drug cartels under pressure from the Trump administration. The country recently stopped sending oil to its ally Cuba around the same time Trump threatened to impose tariffs on countries that sent gas to the island.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum speaks at the National Palace in Mexico City, Nov. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte, File)

While uncertainty simmered in Latin America, Gabriella Siller, analyst for the Mexican financial group Banco Base, said that the order was “good news” for Mexico. The Mexican pesos jumped Friday morning.

Siller added that Trump can still use other tariff measures and pull other political levers to pressure Mexico, especially in the lead up to renegotiations of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

“It’s a pressure cooker. We’ll see how Trump responds. His responses are usually strong and aggressive, and could trigger a new episode of high volatility” for Mexico, Siller said.

British government expects its ‘privileged trading position’ to continue

The British government said it expects the U.K.’s “privileged trading position” with the U.S. to continue after Trump’s tariffs were struck down by the country’s Supreme Court.

The U.K. received the lowest reciprocal tariff rate of 10% from the U.S. A subsequent deal saw further carve-outs for Britain’s steel industry and car manufacturers.

“The U.K. enjoys the lowest reciprocal tariffs globally, and under any scenario we expect our privileged trading position with the U.S. to continue,” a government spokesman said. “We will work with the Administration to understand how the ruling will affect tariffs for the U.K. and the rest of the world.”

Trading partners are prepared and are unlikely to walk away from recent deals, says a former trade official

Wendy Cutler, a former U.S. trade negotiator, said U.S. trading partners were aware of the risks Trump faced in using the emergency clause to impose tariffs.

“Nevertheless, they chose to conclude deals with Washington, convinced that other statutes would be utilized to keep the tariffs in place,” said Cutler, now vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute.

“They are waiting to see the Administration’s Plan B,” she said. “Walking away from the deals announced in recent months does not seem to be in the cards.”

The Trump administration this month signed trade deals with Taiwan and Indonesia.

Neal Katyal, who argued the case at SCOTUS, calls decision ‘complete and total victory’

Katyal, the former Acting Solicitor General of the United States, told The Associated Press: “the decision today is everything we asked the Supreme Court to do.”

“It is a complete and total victory for the challenge to President Trump’s tariffs. It’s a reaffirmation of our deepest constitutional values and the idea that Congress, not any one man, controls the power to tax the American people.

Canada’s Chamber of Commerce CEO says this is not a reset of US trade policy

“The Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the use of IEEPA tariff powers is a legal ruling, not a reset of U.S. trade policy. This is certainly not the last chapter of this never-ending story,” Candace Laing, the President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce said in a statement.

“Canada should prepare for new, blunter mechanisms to be used to reassert trade pressure, potentially with broader and more disruptive effects,” Laing said.

Senate Democratic Leader Schumer says tariff ruling is ‘win for the wallets’ of American consumers

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement that the Supreme Court’s ruling striking down President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Friday will “finally give families and small businesses the relief they deserve” and that Trump should end “this reckless trade war for good.”

He said the president’s “overreach failed.”

“We’ve said from day one: a president cannot ignore Congress and unilaterally slap tariffs on Americans,” Schumer said.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/02/20/the-latest-trump-addresses-press-after-supreme-court-strikes-down-his-sweeping-tariffs/