Supreme Court strikes down Trump’s tariffs; ‘Time to pay the piper,’ Newsom says
The Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s tariffs, handing a victory to opponents from conservative business interests to Gov. Gavin Newsom, who had sued to block them.
The U.S.’s highest court said Friday in a 6-3 decision that Trump had overstepped his authority in levying fees on imports from almost every major U.S. trade partner from Europe to Asia.
Learning Resources Inc., an educational toy manufacturer, had sued to block the tariffs. It argued that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which allows the president to regulate trade during war, did not apply as the U.S. was not under siege by the countries Trump had imposed tariffs on.
“The Government thus concedes, as it must, that the President enjoys no inherent authority to impose tariffs during peacetime,” Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. wrote in the majority opinion. Justices Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh and Samuel Alito dissented.
Newsom unsuccessfully challenged the tariffs in a separate case last year and asked foreign countries to bypass the U.S. and trade with California directly. State agricultural leaders lobbied for Congress to intervene as they feared losing billions if outside countries retaliated.
“Time to pay the piper, Donald. These tariffs were nothing more than an illegal cash grab that drove up prices and hurt working families, so you could wreck longstanding alliances and extort them,” Newsom said in a statement. “Every dollar unlawfully taken must be refunded immediately — with interest. Cough up!”
California Attorney General Rob Bonta called attention to the costs of the tariffs as business passed on the effects to consumers by raising prices.
“Today, the highest court in the country has agreed with arguments put forth by California, our sister states, and the dedicated businesses that decided to fight for their livelihoods and for what was right,” he said in a statement. “While this is great news, we must not forget the chaos that sent businesses, consumers, and global economies reeling. At a time when more and more families are struggling with affordability and having trouble paying for the basics — their utilities, groceries, gas — this Administration seems intent on making it more expensive for Californians and Americans to live.”
In the lead-up to his 2024 election, Trump had said he would impose tariffs to get back at countries he insisted were “cheating” the U.S. He often announced the tariffs on his social media accounts, only to walk them back and reimpose them as his officials negotiated behind the scenes.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump attended a breakfast with the National Governors Association on Friday morning, where he reportedly called the decision “a disgrace,” according to CNN.
This story was originally published February 20, 2026 at 9:16 AM with the headline "Supreme Court strikes down Trump’s tariffs; ‘Time to pay the piper,’ Newsom says."
