President Donald Trump has criticized the U.S. Supreme Court for rulings against his administration on tariffs and birthright citizenship, claiming the decisions have cost the nation "trillions and trillions of dollars." In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, Trump questioned the financial and reputational impact of the court's decisions, which rejected his policies by 6-3 majorities in both cases. Two conservative justices Trump appointed sided against him in both rulings.
The Supreme Court ruled against Trump's tariffs in February, determining the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) did not authorize unilateral tariffs. The court also struck down Trump's executive order restricting birthright citizenship in June, affirming the 14th Amendment's guarantee of citizenship to all born on U.S. soil. The justices ruled the order unconstitutional.
Trump's tariff policy aimed to impose levies on trading partners, but the court required the administration to refund firms affected by higher import prices. As of June 29, U.S. Customs and Border Protection had issued $104.29 billion in refunds, according to court filings. The birthright citizenship order would have denied automatic citizenship to children born to undocumented parents or those with temporary legal status.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a Trump appointee, joined the majority in both cases. Trump had previously criticized two other conservative justices by name over the tariff ruling. The deadline for the Justice Department to petition for a rehearing on the birthright citizenship case has passed. Multiple GOP lawmakers have introduced legislation to codify Trump's order.
Trump has argued the rulings benefit U.S. adversaries like Russia and China. However, researchers from Princeton University have disputed his claims about the economic impact, suggesting the tariffs' financial effects were more limited.