Trump says court halt of tariffs would cause ‘Great Depression’

U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Friday (August 8, 2025) of cataclysmic consequences on the U.S. economy if a court rules that his imposition of sweeping tariffs constitutes an illegal power grab.

If a “Radical Left Court” strikes down the tariffs, “it would be impossible to ever recover, or pay back, these massive sums of money and honor,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Trump tariffs may remain in effect while appeals proceed, U.S. appeals court rules

“It would be 1929 all over again, a GREAT DEPRESSION!” he said.

Mr. Trump’s hyperbolic statements come as a U.S. appeals court weighs the legality of his broad use of emergency powers to enact sweeping tariffs on trading partners.