US Supreme Court rules against Trump’s tariffs in 6-3 opinion, dealing blow to trade agenda

By: Jacob Fischler, Ashley Murray

Outlets: DC Bureau (States Newsroom)

Published: February 20, 2026

Words: 1,807

Last Updated: 6 days, 5 hours ago

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WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court dealt a major blow to President Donald Trump’s trade agenda Friday, ruling the tariffs he issued under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act are illegal.

In a 6-3 decision authored by Chief Justice John Roberts, the court said Congress alone holds the power to tax in almost all circumstances. The Trump administration’s argument that trade deficits and illegal drug imports granted it emergency power to levy tariffs was not …

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