President Donald Trump expressed outrage on Friday over the Supreme Court ruling that struck down his sweeping global tariffs, focusing particularly on the court’s prohibition against charging foreign countries fees under the statute. Speaking at a White House news conference, Trump framed the decision as contradictory, saying, “I’m allowed to destroy the country, but I can’t charge them a little fee.” He insisted that while the court limited one specific aspect of his authority, numerous alternative measures remain fully available to enforce U.S. trade interests.
Trump: I am allowed to destroy the country but I can’t charge a fee!?!? pic.twitter.com/k60TNBU3Ek
— Acyn (@Acyn) February 20, 2026
Trump criticized the majority of the justices, calling them “fools and lap dogs” and accusing them of being swayed by foreign interests and political movements. He singled out Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Brett Kavanaugh for praise, highlighting their dissenting opinions as “undeniable” in support of his approach. According to Trump, their positions affirm that the president still retains broad powers to regulate trade, block imports, impose embargoes, and use licensing mechanisms—even if he cannot charge a tariff fee.
The Supreme Court’s decision, issued in a 6-to-3 ruling by Chief Justice John Roberts, found that Trump exceeded his authority when he imposed tariffs on nearly all U.S. trading partners last year. The court concluded that the 1977 IEEPA emergency statute, which Trump had cited as justification, does not explicitly authorize tariff fees. The ruling overturned a significant portion of his trade agenda, casting uncertainty over deals with foreign countries and the more than $200 billion in tariffs the administration had collected.
Despite this, Trump characterized the decision as ultimately empowering, claiming it confirms his “unquestioned right to ban all sorts of things from coming into our country” and that other statutory authorities provide even stronger tools for enforcing trade protections.
Trump also defended the economic achievements tied to his tariff policies, noting record highs in the stock market and reductions in fentanyl imports, while reiterating that his actions were motivated by national security and economic strength. He framed the court’s ruling as a technical limitation—prohibiting the collection of fees—but insisted that “it doesn’t matter because we have very powerful alternatives that have been approved.”
The decision drew a mixed response from lawmakers, with some Republicans joining Democrats in emphasizing that the ruling reasserted Congress’s role in trade policy. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called the ruling “illegal” in the sense that it clarified Trump had bypassed congressional authority. Trump, however, dismissed such criticism, saying the ruling does not substantially constrain the president’s ability to implement tariffs and other trade measures going forward.
