SCOTUS pulls the plug on President Trump's Tariffs

In a major win for Article I, the Court reaffirms that the power to tax belongs to Congress, not the White House

Last week, the Supreme Court finally found the chutzpah to draw a limit on Trump’s overreach.

The majority is notorious for handing Trump whatever he wants to get away with expanding his presidential powers. This time, in the 6-3 decision in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, the Supreme Court reined in Trump, reminding him that the plain text of the Constitution is not optional, even for presidents. Congress, not the President, holds the power to tax.

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As I wrote in a column for Zeteo, this is certainly a win for the rule of law. But the cracks in this Court’s foundation of legitimacy are still very much apparent.

What is the case about?

Beginning in February 2025, President Trump released a string of executive orders under the authority of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”). The Brennan Center describes the statute as giving the president broad powers “to impose economic sanctions and regulate economic transactions during national emergencies that involve an ‘unusual and extraordinary threat’ to the U.S. national security, foreign policy, or economy.” Trump used this Act as a pretext to impose unprecedented tariffs on countries like China, Canada, and Mexico—a sweeping move that detrimentally affected global and domestic businesses alike.