WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said he might attend the Supreme Court arguments over his tariff blitz because of what he called the case’s importance in defending American jobs and discouraging wars abroad.
“Tariffs are a very important tool for our defense, our national security,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Oct. 15. “If we don’t win that case, we will be a weakened, troubled financial mess for many, many years to come.”
If he attends, Trump would be the first sitting president to attend a Supreme Court argument. Former President Richard Nixon appeared as a lawyer before the high court. William Howard Taft served as president before joining the court as chief justice.
The Supreme Court set arguments for Nov. 5 over whether Trump has the authority to impose tariffs under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Lower courts have ruled he overstepped his authority under a law historically used for imposing economic sanctions and other penalties on foreign enemies.
"The statute bestows significant authority on the President to undertake a number of actions in response to a declared national emergency, but none of these actions explicitly include the power to impose tariffs, duties, or the like, or the power to tax," the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit said in a 7-4 decision.
