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By Steve Mollman
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President Donald Trump criticized the U.S. Supreme Court on Saturday, accusing the justices of issuing "faulty, political, and ridiculous decisions" on tariffs and birthright citizenship that he claimed have cost the United States "trillions of dollars." The president's comments mark his latest public attack on the high court following major defeats on two signature policies of his second term.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote the court had "lacked the Courage to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN" and argued that its rulings on tariffs and birthright citizenship had damaged the country economically and altered how citizenship is granted in the country.
"Over the last 6 months, with their faulty, political, and ridiculous decisions on TARIFFS and Birthright Citizenship, they have cost the United States of America Trillions of Dollars, and forever damaged the way people become Citizens of our great Country," Trump wrote.
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Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment on Saturday.
Why It Matters
The post targets two of the most consequential legal setbacks of Trump's presidency. In February, the court ruled that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act did not give Trump authority to impose sweeping global tariffs, forcing the administration to unwind the policy and issue refunds to importers. The administration later pursued alternative tariff authorities, like Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 to impose 10 to 12.5 percent tariffs on imports from 60 U.S. trading partners, after the court struck down the original duties. The Section 301 tariffs are currently facing legal challenges.
According to documents filed by customs officials with the U.S. Court of International Trade and cited by the Financial Times, the Trump administration, as of August, has paid around $100 billion in tariff refunds to importers. That represents roughly 60 percent of the $166 billion that businesses are estimated to have paid in tariffs.
The court also dealt Trump a major setback in June when it upheld a broad interpretation of birthright citizenship and rejected his effort to limit automatic citizenship for many children born in the U.S. to parents who are unlawfully or temporarily present in the country. The justices relied on longstanding interpretations of the Fourteenth Amendment's Citizenship Clause.
Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas dissented, writing that he was not convinced the court's interpretation of the Citizenship Clause would "stand the test of time."
The decisions nevertheless came from a court with a conservative majority that includes three Trump appointees: Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.
Trump argued that the rulings had harmed the economy and immigration policy.
"It has been a sad chapter in the life and times of America, but we will prevail!" the president wrote Saturday.
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The Birthright Citizenship Fight Continues
The administration continues to pursue other avenues aimed at restricting birthright citizenship and combating what it describes as birth tourism.
Earlier this month, a federal judge blocked enforcement of a new Trump administration order seeking to restrict birthright citizenship, ruling that the government could not deny citizenship to a class of children whom the Supreme Court had already determined are citizens at birth. According to the ruling, the Supreme Court's decision established that children born in the U.S. to parents who are unlawfully or temporarily present in the country are protected by the Fourteenth Amendment.
In her ruling, U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman, appointed by President Joe Biden, wrote: "The Supreme Court has spoken: Children in the certified class are 'citizens at birth.' ... The President must follow it."
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The court's June ruling was authored by Chief Justice John Roberts, who wrote that birthright citizenship extends to "every free-born person in this land" and concluded: "We keep that promise today."
The administration has also issued separate directives aimed at preventing foreign nationals from traveling to the U.S. primarily to give birth and secure citizenship for their children, a strategy that officials have emphasized after the Supreme Court defeat.
Trump and his allies have shown little sign of abandoning the issue since the court's June decision. In recent weeks, the administration unveiled new executive orders targeting birth tourism and other categories it argues fall outside traditional birthright citizenship protections, while conservative activists have discussed ways to keep the debate alive through future litigation, legislation and judicial nominations, including efforts to shape future judicial candidates.
What Happens Next
Trump's comments do not announce any new legal action or policy initiative, but they show his continued frustration with rulings that curtailed two of his highest-profile initiatives. While the administration has sought alternative legal pathways on both tariffs and immigration, the court's decisions remain major constraints on the president's agenda.
The White House has not immediately indicated whether Trump is seeking additional legislative or legal remedies in response to either ruling.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.
Contact Newsweek editors for this story: Steve Mollman and Anthony Murray.
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