California Governor Gavin Newsom has officially entered the legal fight against Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff policies, filing a brief in support of a Supreme Court case that could reshape the limits of presidential economic power.
Since his second presidential inauguration in January 2025, Trump has made tariffs the cornerstone of his new economic agenda — imposing broad new levies on America’s trading partners. Though some of these tariffs were later eased, they’ve sparked widespread opposition from economists, business owners, and state leaders across the country.
With Republicans controlling both the House and Senate, the judiciary has become the key check on Trump’s most aggressive trade policies. But this legal battle is about more than just tariffs — it’s about how much power a president can claim under emergency economic laws.
The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on November 5 to determine whether Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) truly allows such sweeping tariffs. Several Democratic-led states and small businesses argue it does not, saying Trump’s actions violate both the spirit and letter of the law.
Newsom’s Stand: “California Won’t Pay for Trump’s Betrayal and Grift”
On Friday, Newsom announced on X (formerly Twitter) that he and California Attorney General Rob Bonta had filed a formal brief urging the Court to strike down Trump’s tariffs.
“California families and businesses shouldn’t pay the price for actions that Trump never had the authority to take in the first place,” Newsom wrote.
In a detailed statement, his office warned that these “illegal tariffs” could cost California $25 billion and over 64,000 jobs, calling the policy “a direct threat to the state’s economy.”
Newsom didn’t mince words:
“Trump’s tariffs are punishing American families and small businesses. This isn’t policy — it’s betrayal and grift. While Trump continues to play political games and make shady deals for his own benefit, California will keep fighting to protect the rule of law.”
Trump Fires Back
Trump defended his actions in an August post on Truth Social, claiming that without his tariffs, the U.S. economy and military would have been “completely destroyed.” He praised one Democratic judge who sided with him in a lower court ruling, saying, “He loves and respects the U.S.A.”
The Supreme Court has agreed to fast-track two major tariff cases, both questioning whether Trump exceeded his presidential authority under IEEPA. Legal experts warn that if the Court sides with Trump, it could expand executive power far beyond trade policy.
“The concern is that if we allow it here, that could creep into other laws that give the executive branch greater power.”
The outcome could define the balance of power between the president and Congress for decades. And with six conservative justices on the bench, the decision will test how far even they are willing to go in defending Trump’s expansive view of presidential authority.
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