California Gov. Gavin Newsom escalated his criticism of President Donald Trump, accusing him of “throwing a tantrum” after announcing plans to impose a new 10 percent global tariff. The remarks came just hours after the Supreme Court of the United States struck down the administration’s sweeping import duties, ruling that the president had exceeded his authority under federal law.
Donald Trump was finally held accountable for using his illegal tariffs to take hundreds of billions of dollars from Americans.
— Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) February 20, 2026
And he’s already throwing a tantrum. https://t.co/go3Bq57Bj4
In a post responding to a clip of Trump’s latest tariff announcement, Newsom wrote, “Donald Trump was finally held accountable for using his illegal tariffs to take hundreds of billions of dollars from Americans. And he’s already throwing a tantrum.” The comment followed Trump’s statement that he would sign “an order to impose a 10% global tariff under Section 122, over and above our normal tariffs already being charged.”
Trump: "Today I will sign an order to impose a 10% global tariff under Section 122, over and above our normal tariffs already being charged" pic.twitter.com/PPiUKD2lPt
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 20, 2026
The president’s announcement came in the wake of a 6–3 Supreme Court decision determining that Trump had exceeded his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 when he imposed tariffs on goods from more than 100 countries. The tariffs, first introduced in 2025 and later expanded to cover most major U.S. trading partners, were framed by the White House as necessary to reduce trade deficits, raise revenue and strengthen the country’s negotiating position abroad.
Newsom has also called on the president to repay the tariff revenue. In a separate message directed at Trump after the ruling, he wrote, “Time to pay the piper, Donald. Your tariffs were nothing more than an illegal cash grab that drove up prices, hurt working families, and wrecked longstanding global alliances. Every dollar your administration unlawfully took needs to be immediately refunded — with interest.”
The exchange underscores an increasingly public clash between California’s governor and the White House over economic and trade policy. In recent weeks, Newsom has criticized the administration’s rollback of federal climate regulations and warned that U.S. allies were reassessing their economic partnerships in response to what he described as instability in American trade policy.
Trump’s pledge to impose a new 10 percent global tariff under Section 122 signals that the administration may pursue alternative statutory authorities even after the Supreme Court’s rebuke. With lower courts now tasked with determining how to handle previously collected tariff revenue, and the White House indicating it intends to continue defending its trade agenda, the broader debate over executive power and the limits of presidential authority in trade policy appears far from settled.
