WATCH: “I Don’t Think the Court Meant That, but It’s the Way It is” – Trump Says SCOTUS Actually Reaffirmed Tariff Powers, Announces 10% GLOBAL Tariffs and Investigation into Unfair Trading Practices of Other Countries and Companies
February 20, 2026
President Trump on Friday told reporters that he will impose new “global” tariffs on foreign imports of 10% following the Supreme Court’s ruling against his authority to impose the tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
In a stunning decision, SCOTUS invalidated tariffs under IEEPA on Friday, but Trump told reporters that the ruling actually confirms his authority to impose tariffs. “I don’t think the court meant that, but it’s the way it is,” he said.
“I can do anything I want with IEEPA, anything! I just can’t charge anybody for it. I can license. I just can’t charge them. It’s ridiculous, but it’s okay, because we have other ways, numerous other ways,” Trump said.
“Therefore, effective immediately, all national security tariffs under Section 232 and existing section 301, tariffs— they’re existing, they’re there— remain in place, fully in place, and in full force and effect. Today, I will sign an order to impose a 10% global tariff under Section 122, over and above our normal tariffs already being charged. And we’re also initiating several section 301, and other investigations to protect our country from unfair trading practices of other countries and companies.”
Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 allows the President to impose tariffs of 15% for 150 days with few limitations.
Trump later said that the amount of tariff revenue resulting from his new tariffs “could be far greater than the hundreds of billions we’ve already taken in.”
Trump further slammed the “major sleaze bags” behind the lawsuit to stop IEEPA tariffs and the Supreme Court, saying the court “doesn’t show great spirit toward our country in my opinion.”
WATCH:
Trump: There will no longer be any doubt, and the income coming in and the protection of our companies and country will actually increase because of this decision. I don’t think the court meant that, but it’s the way it is. Based on long standing law and hundreds of victories. And even, as I was pointed out before, even 1000s of victories over the years, to the contrary, the Supreme Court did not overrule tariffs. They merely overruled a particular use of IEEPA tariffs, and essentially it’s the use to use to get a fee. I can do anything I want with IEEPA, anything! I just can’t charge anybody for it. I can license. I just can’t charge them. It’s ridiculous, but it’s okay, because we have other ways, numerous other ways. The ability to block, embargo, restrict, license, or impose any other condition on a foreign country’s ability to conduct trade with the United States under IEEPA has been fully confirmed by this decision.
So, now there’s no doubt, because, you know, there were a lot of questions about tariffs because no president was smart enough to use them to protect our country from those countries and businesses that were ripping us off. You took a look at the deficits that we had with some of these countries. It was disgraceful what they got away with for many, many decades. But now we know, because this decision affirms all those things that some people weren’t sure about. In order to protect— and it says so— in order to protect our country, a president can actually charge more tariffs than I was charging in the past period of a year under the various tariff authorities. So, we can use other of the statutes, other of the tariff authorities, which have also been confirmed and are fully allowed.
Therefore, effective immediately, all national security tariffs under Section 232 and existing section 301, tariffs— they’re existing, they’re there— remain in place, fully in place, and in full force and effect. Today, I will sign an order to impose a 10% global tariff under Section 122, over and above our normal tariffs already being charged. And we’re also initiating several section 301, and other investigations to protect our country from unfair trading practices of other countries and companies. Thank you for your attention to this matter. And I say, quite simply, which I’ve said for a long time, Make America Great Again. And interestingly, we’ve already made it great, so I don’t have to use that, but I don’t think we’ll ever give up on MAGA. MAGA’s always going to be with us.
If you have a few questions, you can let us know, but just to end, so we’re going forward. We will be able to take in more money, and there’ll no longer be doubt because there was always doubt. I know the people that brought the lawsuit, and they’re sleaze bags, major sleaze bags, but I know them, and they’re foreign country-centric. They were sending things into our country, and the people representing them knew full well, but they were sending things into our country, and they were beneficial to other countries, but very, very bad for us. And I stopped it, and we’ll just keep it going so we have more of a we have a totally firm decision now, and I don’t think the court meant it because the court doesn’t show great spirit toward our country in my opinion. A lot of bad decisions, but there are usually ways around it. This is something we could have done, as Justice Kavanaugh said, we could have done this originally, but we’re doing it now. And the numbers could be far greater than the hundreds of billions we’ve already taken in.
Trump’s comments to the press echo a statement he released on Truth Social earlier in the day, which he read in part during the briefing.
Full statement below:
To show you how ridiculous the opinion is, the Court said that I’m not allowed to charge even $1 DOLLAR to any Country under IEEPA, I assume to protect other Countries, not the United States which they should be interested in protecting — But I am allowed to cut off any and all Trade or Business with that same Country, even imposing a Foreign Country destroying embargo, and do anything else I want to do to them — How nonsensical is that? They are saying that I have the absolute right to license, but not the right to charge a license fee. What license has ever been issued without the right to charge a fee? But now the Court has given me the unquestioned right to ban all sorts of things from coming into our Country, a much more powerful Right than many people thought we had.
Our Country is the “HOTTEST” anywhere in the World, but now, I am going in a different direction, which is even stronger than our original choice. As Justice Kavanaugh wrote in his Dissent:
“Although I firmly disagree with the Court’s holding today, the decision might not substantially constrain a President’s ability to order tariffs going forward. That is because numerous other federal statutes authorize the President to impose tariffs and might justify most (if not all) of the tariffs issued in this case…Those statutes include, for example, the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (Section 232); the Trade Act of 1974 (Sections 122, 201, and 301); and the Tariff Act of 1930 (Section 338).”
Thank you Justice Kavanaugh!
In actuality, while I am sure they did not mean to do so, the Supreme Court’s decision today made a President’s ability to both regulate Trade, and impose TARIFFS, more powerful and crystal clear, rather than less. There will no longer be any doubt, and the Income coming in, and the protection of our Companies and Country, will actually increase because of this decision. Based on longstanding Law and Hundreds of Victories to the contrary, the Supreme Court did not overrule TARIFFS, they merely overruled a particular use of IEEPA TARIFFS. The ability to block, embargo, restrict, license, or impose any other condition on a Foreign Country’s ability to conduct Trade with the United States under IEEPA, has been fully confirmed by this decision. In order to protect our Country, a President can actually charge more TARIFFS than I was charging in the past under the various other TARIFF authorities, which have also been confirmed, and fully allowed.
Therefore, effective immediately, all National Security TARIFFS, Section 232 and existing Section 301 TARIFFS, remain in place, and in full force and effect. Today I will sign an Order to impose a 10% GLOBAL TARIFF, under Section 122, over and above our normal TARIFFS already being charged, and we are also initiating several Section 301 and other Investigations to protect our Country from unfair Trading practices. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
The post WATCH: “I Don’t Think the Court Meant That, but It’s the Way It is” – Trump Says SCOTUS Actually Reaffirmed Tariff Powers, Announces 10% GLOBAL Tariffs and Investigation into Unfair Trading Practices of Other Countries and Companies appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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