President Trump positioned himself Saturday not as a president responding to a court ruling but as the last defender of American workers against decades of foreign exploitation, announcing a 15% global tariff with the language of a champion rather than a litigant. The announcement came hours after the Supreme Court delivered a significant legal blow to his trade agenda.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump declared that foreign nations had been “ripping” the United States off for decades and that his administration had finally brought them to account. The new 15% rate, he said, was effective immediately and drawn from Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, which allows such tariffs for 150 days before congressional approval is needed. His administration plans to build a durable, permanent tariff framework during that window.
The Supreme Court had ruled 6-3 on Friday that his IEEPA-based tariffs were unconstitutional. Trump dismissed the ruling as “ridiculous” and turned his fury on the justices who voted against him. He accused them of being “unpatriotic and disloyal to our constitution,” called his own nominees Barrett and Gorsuch an embarrassment, and said he was “ashamed” of justices who lacked the courage to do what was right for the country.
Global leaders pushed back against Trump’s framing. Germany’s Chancellor Merz said tariff uncertainty was acting as poison for businesses on both sides of the Atlantic and pledged to bring a coordinated European response to Washington. France’s Macron defended the rule of law and called for trade built on reciprocity rather than presidential decree. The UK faces renewed uncertainty after its 10% rate was effectively overtaken.
Research confirms that American workers and businesses, not foreign exporters, have absorbed about 90% of the $130 billion in tariffs collected so far. Exemptions under the new rate cover critical minerals, metals, pharmaceuticals, and USMCA-compliant goods from Canada and Mexico. Sector-specific tariffs on steel, aluminum, lumber, and autos remain fully in place.