By Paul Joseph
U.S. President Donald Trump launched an unusually personal attack on six members of the Supreme Court of the United States after the court struck down his administration’s sweeping global tariffs, delivering one of the most significant setbacks of his second term.
In a ruling released Friday, the court held that presidents do not possess inherent authority to impose broad tariffs on any country without congressional approval. The decision effectively nullified a central pillar of Trump’s trade agenda.
Speaking at the White House hours after the judgment, Trump described the ruling as “deeply disappointing” and said the justices who joined the majority opinion should be “absolutely ashamed.”
“I’m ashamed of certain members of the court. Absolutely ashamed for not having the courage to do what’s right for our country,” Trump said at the start of a press conference that lasted nearly 45 minutes.
The president did not single out justices by party affiliation, noting that the majority comprised both liberal and conservative members of the bench. The opinion was written by Chief Justice John Roberts, who was joined by Justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett.
Three of the six were appointed by Democratic presidents, while Roberts was nominated by former President George W. Bush. Gorsuch and Barrett were appointed by Trump during his first term.
Trump accused the justices of lacking courage and claimed, without providing evidence, that the court had been influenced by “foreign interests.” He also referred to some Republicans as “RINOs” — shorthand for “Republicans in Name Only” — suggesting they had failed to support his trade policies.
While stopping short of saying he regretted appointing Gorsuch and Barrett, Trump described their votes as an “embarrassment” and made pointed references to their families — a rare move in presidential criticism of the judiciary.
In contrast, Trump praised the three dissenting justices — Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh — who would have upheld his tariff authority. He gave special recognition to Kavanaugh, who in a lengthy dissent warned that the ruling could require the government to refund billions of dollars in tariff revenue and create administrative turmoil.
Legal analysts and trade experts said Trump’s reaction reflected the high stakes of the case for his administration.
Alan Wm. Wolff, a former deputy director-general of the World Trade Organization, said the court was likely aware of the decision’s significance for the president’s trade strategy.
Colin Grabow of the Cato Institute described the ruling as “a victory for the rule of law,” adding that it was unsurprising Trump would take the decision personally given how central tariffs have been to his economic policy.
Despite the setback, Trump signaled he would explore alternative legal avenues to continue imposing tariffs, setting the stage for a potential new chapter in the ongoing struggle between the White House and the judiciary over the limits of executive power.
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