Trump risks GOP midterm election prospects by vowing to stay the course on tariffs
What's the endgame here?
The Supreme Court’s Friday ruling that President Donald Trump exceeded his authority when he imposed sweeping tariffs on nearly every U.S. trading partner could have provided some much-needed cover for vulnerable Republicans heading into the midterm elections.
Instead, Trump’s vow to press ahead and use other authorities to make countries pay injected fresh uncertainty into an already fraught issue.
The Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision was a rare rebuke of the president and marked a significant setback for his signature economic agenda.
President Donald Trump speaks during a press briefing at the White House, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Trump made tariffs the cornerstone of his economic message heading into the midterm elections, once calling them his “favorite word in the dictionary.” He now routinely says it’s his fifth favorite word. He pledged they would lure factories back from overseas and restore lost jobs. He also cautioned that rolling them back could tip the United States into a sharp recession. But the tariffs and the costs they imposed on consumers and small businesses have been unpopular among many Americans, and Republican candidates in battleground states have been under Democratic attack for supporting them.
The Supreme Court ruling allowed Republicans to point to Congress’s constitutional authority rather than being forced to take direct aim at Trump’s economic policies or to attempt to justify them, political strategist Jamie Jackson told the Washington Examiner. The morning ruling gave Republicans a few hours of breathing room before they found themselves back in a difficult position.
Trump slammed the Supreme Court’s decision during a press conference, railing against the justices who ruled against him and labeling them “very unpatriotic and disloyal to our Constitution.”
“We have alternatives,” Trump said of his tariff authorities, adding that the country could collect “more money” as a result. Specifically, he said he will impose tariffs under Section 122, a law that allows him to do so for 150 days, after which he would need congressional approval. Getting that approval, especially with midterm elections approaching, could be a difficult ask. If he fails to get Congress on board, he could turn to other authorities, but that, too, may mean more uncertainty and a rocky midterm for Republicans.
“This is the main tenet of Trump’s policy, and he will not let this go, nor will the Democrats,” …
What's the endgame here?
The Supreme Court’s Friday ruling that President Donald Trump exceeded his authority when he imposed sweeping tariffs on nearly every U.S. trading partner could have provided some much-needed cover for vulnerable Republicans heading into the midterm elections.
Instead, Trump’s vow to press ahead and use other authorities to make countries pay injected fresh uncertainty into an already fraught issue.
The Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision was a rare rebuke of the president and marked a significant setback for his signature economic agenda.
President Donald Trump speaks during a press briefing at the White House, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Trump made tariffs the cornerstone of his economic message heading into the midterm elections, once calling them his “favorite word in the dictionary.” He now routinely says it’s his fifth favorite word. He pledged they would lure factories back from overseas and restore lost jobs. He also cautioned that rolling them back could tip the United States into a sharp recession. But the tariffs and the costs they imposed on consumers and small businesses have been unpopular among many Americans, and Republican candidates in battleground states have been under Democratic attack for supporting them.
The Supreme Court ruling allowed Republicans to point to Congress’s constitutional authority rather than being forced to take direct aim at Trump’s economic policies or to attempt to justify them, political strategist Jamie Jackson told the Washington Examiner. The morning ruling gave Republicans a few hours of breathing room before they found themselves back in a difficult position.
Trump slammed the Supreme Court’s decision during a press conference, railing against the justices who ruled against him and labeling them “very unpatriotic and disloyal to our Constitution.”
“We have alternatives,” Trump said of his tariff authorities, adding that the country could collect “more money” as a result. Specifically, he said he will impose tariffs under Section 122, a law that allows him to do so for 150 days, after which he would need congressional approval. Getting that approval, especially with midterm elections approaching, could be a difficult ask. If he fails to get Congress on board, he could turn to other authorities, but that, too, may mean more uncertainty and a rocky midterm for Republicans.
“This is the main tenet of Trump’s policy, and he will not let this go, nor will the Democrats,” …
Trump risks GOP midterm election prospects by vowing to stay the course on tariffs
What's the endgame here?
The Supreme Court’s Friday ruling that President Donald Trump exceeded his authority when he imposed sweeping tariffs on nearly every U.S. trading partner could have provided some much-needed cover for vulnerable Republicans heading into the midterm elections.
Instead, Trump’s vow to press ahead and use other authorities to make countries pay injected fresh uncertainty into an already fraught issue.
The Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision was a rare rebuke of the president and marked a significant setback for his signature economic agenda.
President Donald Trump speaks during a press briefing at the White House, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Trump made tariffs the cornerstone of his economic message heading into the midterm elections, once calling them his “favorite word in the dictionary.” He now routinely says it’s his fifth favorite word. He pledged they would lure factories back from overseas and restore lost jobs. He also cautioned that rolling them back could tip the United States into a sharp recession. But the tariffs and the costs they imposed on consumers and small businesses have been unpopular among many Americans, and Republican candidates in battleground states have been under Democratic attack for supporting them.
The Supreme Court ruling allowed Republicans to point to Congress’s constitutional authority rather than being forced to take direct aim at Trump’s economic policies or to attempt to justify them, political strategist Jamie Jackson told the Washington Examiner. The morning ruling gave Republicans a few hours of breathing room before they found themselves back in a difficult position.
Trump slammed the Supreme Court’s decision during a press conference, railing against the justices who ruled against him and labeling them “very unpatriotic and disloyal to our Constitution.”
“We have alternatives,” Trump said of his tariff authorities, adding that the country could collect “more money” as a result. Specifically, he said he will impose tariffs under Section 122, a law that allows him to do so for 150 days, after which he would need congressional approval. Getting that approval, especially with midterm elections approaching, could be a difficult ask. If he fails to get Congress on board, he could turn to other authorities, but that, too, may mean more uncertainty and a rocky midterm for Republicans.
“This is the main tenet of Trump’s policy, and he will not let this go, nor will the Democrats,” …
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