Trump Attacks Supreme Court as Disloyal After Tariff Ruling
President Donald Trump attacked the Supreme Court on February 20, 2026, after the justices ruled 6-3 that he exceeded his tariff authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Trump called certain court members “unpatriotic and disloyal to our Constitution” and accused them of being “swayed by foreign interests,” while praising the three dissenting justices for their “strength, wisdom, and love of our country.”
Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Neil Gorsuch joined the majority in holding that the Constitution vests taxing power in Congress, not the executive branch. Trump dismissed this constitutional constraint, declaring “We have alternatives” and immediately announcing a 10 percent additional tariff on top of existing penalties. According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump told state governors the ruling was a “disgrace,” and CNN reported he complained about “these fucking courts” while venting to lawmakers.
Trump’s public fury followed days of pressure on the Court. On Thursday before the decision, he proclaimed confidence in a favorable ruling and warned without tariffs “everybody would be bankrupt, the whole country would be bankrupt.” He previously posted on Truth Social “WE’RE SCREWED” if the Court ruled against him, and in August threatened a second Great Depression should tariffs face judicial rejection.
Trump has also threatened Republican members of Congress with primary challenges for opposing his tariff policies, demonstrating his pattern of coercing political actors into compliance. His tariff regime has created measurable economic damage, with the Commerce Department releasing figures on the same day showing American GDP growth has slowed dramatically under Trump’s pressure.
Trump’s defiance of the Court’s constitutional ruling exemplifies his broader rejection of institutional checks on executive power. Rather than accept judicial review, he announced plans to circumvent the decision through executive orders while attacking the justices themselves, prioritizing personal economic control over constitutional limits.