Trump learns a bitter truth: Plenty of conservatives don’t like his tariffs

Judges Trump nominated to the Supreme Court, Republicans he has supported and Americans who voted for him to lower costs simply don’t like the idea of paying more for their products, Eric Garcia writes

President Donald Trump suffered one of the biggest blows to his domestic agenda on Friday when the Supreme Court struck down his power to levy tariffs. It was a massive body blow given how much Trump regularly talks about how tariffs are “my favorite word.”

The tariffs ruling could provide relief for both businesses and consumers, given how much businesses have had to absorb or pass on to their customers to cover the cost of what is effectively an import tax.

Almost immediately, he announced that he would impose a 10 percent tariff that would be in effect for 150 days. Trump essentially dared Republicans in Congress to let that tariff expire — and be seen as disloyal to the president.

But perhaps just as surprising as the actual ruling was that three of the court’s six conservatives, including Chief Justice John Roberts as well asTrump-appointed Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett joined the three liberals.

His other nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, sided with Trump. Gorsuch in particular issued a blistering concurring majority opinion, effectively saying Congress needed to do its job.

President Donald Trump faced a massive blow to his agenda when the Supreme Court blocked his tariff powers. (AP)

“Yes, legislating can be hard and take time,” Gorsuch wrote. “And, yes, it can be tempting to bypass Congress when some pressing problem arises. But the deliberative nature of the legislative process was the whole point of its design.”

Roberts, whom Republican president George W. Bush nominated to lead the court, echoed that sentiment.

“The president asserts the extraordinary power to unilaterally impose tariffs of unlimited amount, duration, and scope,” Roberts said. “In light of the breadth, history, and constitutional context of that asserted authority, he must identify clear congressional authorization to exercise it.”

Roberts and the court’s conservatives have received criticism for being lapdogs for the president, a term Trump used to describe Roberts, Gorsuch and Barrett. But the fact remains that while they have given Trump a rubber stamp for much of his other authority, Trump based his tariffs on flimsy doctrine and a majority of conservatives on the court didn’t buy it.

Chief Justice Roberts offered a rare rebuke of the president in his ruling (Getty Images)

The same can be said for Republicans on Capitol Hill.

While some Republicans — namely House Speaker Mike Johnson — voiced their opposition to the court, a handful of Republicans across the ideological spectrum seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

“Today’s Supreme Court ruling reaffirms that only Congress has the constitutional authority to impose tariffs, and the President can only do so under a clear and limited delegation of authority from Congress,” said Sen. Susan Collins of Maine.

Collins is by far the most vulnerable incumbent Republican and she flagged how in the past, she opposed Trump’s tariffs on Canada, which shares a border with Maine.

By the same token, Rep. Thomas Massie, a libertarian Republican and Trump foe who is about as diametrically opposed to Collins as can be in the same party, criticized the fact earlier this month, only five other Republicans in the House sided with him to oppose Trump’s tariffs.

That number may seem small, and indeed, two of them — Reps. Don Bacon of Nebraska and Dan Newhouse of Washington — will leave Congress at the end of the year. But they likely speak for a handful of other Republicans who do not like Trump’s tariffs but fear invoking the president’s wrath.

And Republicans have to know that their voters overwhelmingly dislike the tariffs. His approval ratings began to nosedive almost as soon as he announced his “Liberation Day” tariffs. More than half of Americans disapprove of the president’s actions toward the economy. Almost half of them believe that the country is worse off a year into him being in office.

All of this might make Republicans from swing districts increasingly queasy at the thought of having the publicly side with tariffs, especially as primary season fades and members start preparing for difficult general elections. Only then can they withstand the nasty post on Truth Social and actually stick with what they believe in or what they think voters will like.

None of this should have surprised Trump. All of this was a possibility when he ran for president promising these sweeping tariffs. It’s just that Americans didn’t trust the Democrats. But now, even conservatives are realizing that the tariffs are a raw deal with little to no legal basis.