US President Donald Trump delivers an economic address at the Coosa Steel Corporation plant in Rome, Georgia, on February 19, 2026. SAUL LOEB/AFP
For once, US President Donald Trump did not allow the press to attend his address to governors at the White House on the morning of Friday, February 20. His outburst of anger happened behind closed doors when he learned about the Supreme Court's decision to strike down much of his tariff policy. By midday, in the press room, Trump doubled down, lashing out at the three liberal and three conservative justices who formed an unusual majority against him. "They are very unpatriotic and disloyal to our Constitution," Trump said, calling the ruling a "disgrace" and an "embarrassment to their families."
On April 2, 2025, the US administration had unveiled sweeping reciprocal tariffs, on what it called "Liberation Day." That day has now been nullified. The president has been stripped of his favorite tool for exerting pressure, punishment and blackmail, which he had wielded repeatedly over the past year, including against neighboring countries like Mexico and Canada.
With a somber expression, Trump read a prepared statement, then took questions for 45 minutes, never clearly explaining what "powerful alternatives" he would use to preserve tariffs and bring "a lot of money" into federal coffers. "Foreign countries that have been ripping us off for years are ecstatic," he said. "They are so happy. And they're dancing in the streets, but they won't be dancing for long."
