U.S. President Donald Trump opted out of attending the Supreme Court’s oral arguments on his tariff policies, stating, “It’s not about me,” a departure from his usual demeanor. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was expected to be the most notable figure present until comedian John Mulaney made a surprise appearance. Mulaney had previously discussed the connections between Supreme Court arguments and stand-up comedy on lawyer Neal Katyal’s podcast.
During the hearing, Katyal represented the small businesses that sued the Trump administration over the tariffs. He emphasized that tariffs function as taxes, extracting money from Americans and channeling it to the U.S. Treasury. This assertion is pivotal to the case as the U.S. Constitution reserves the power to tax solely to Congress, questioning the President’s authority to impose tariffs unilaterally.
Trump’s Solicitor General John Sauer attempted to argue that the tariffs were not taxes, but his position faced scrutiny from the justices, including Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Neil Gorsuch. The legal debate centered on whether the President exceeded his authority by implementing tariffs on imports from numerous countries without congressional approval.
The court’s conservative judges displayed skepticism towards the administration’s arguments, indicating potential challenges to Trump’s tariff policies. If the court rules against the tariffs, the Treasury might be required to reimburse the substantial tariff revenues collected thus far. However, the decision would not address the specific tariffs affecting the Canadian economy, which were imposed in response to cross-border issues. The ruling is anticipated to be delivered in the coming weeks or months, with predictions leaning towards a rebuke of the Trump administration’s tariff actions.