Trump Raises Tariffs and Signals This Is Only the Beginning of His Trade Revolution

President Trump made clear Saturday that his announcement of a 15% global tariff was not an endpoint but a waypoint in a far broader campaign to transform American trade policy from the ground up. Despite — or perhaps because of — the Supreme Court’s ruling against him, Trump doubled down and promised more to come.
Using Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, a provision that has never been invoked before, Trump imposed a 15% tariff on all imports for up to 150 days while his administration works to build a legally durable, permanent trade architecture. He described foreign nations as having exploited the United States for decades and cast his administration’s tariff agenda as both righteous and inevitable.
The Supreme Court had ruled 6-3 on Friday that Trump’s IEEPA-based tariffs were unconstitutional without congressional approval. Trump’s reaction was to attack the ruling as “ridiculous” and “anti-American” and to personally condemn the justices who sided against him. He called his own nominees Barrett and Gorsuch “an embarrassment to their families” and said they were “barely” invited to the upcoming State of the Union.
World leaders urged Trump to step back from the brink. Germany’s Chancellor Merz warned that tariff uncertainty was acting as “poison” for economic confidence on both sides of the Atlantic and announced a trip to Washington with a coordinated European proposal. France’s Macron praised the Supreme Court’s role in democratic governance and insisted on the principle of fair, reciprocal trade.
Approximately 90% of the $130 billion in tariffs already collected has been absorbed by American businesses and consumers, not foreign exporters. Business groups have sought refunds, but Trump indicated those would come only after a long legal fight. Exemptions apply to critical minerals, metals, pharmaceuticals, and USMCA-compliant goods. Sector tariffs on steel, aluminum, lumber, and autos remain fully operative.