Scott Bessent hits back at ‘gloating Democrats’ and ‘ill-informed’ media after Supreme Court ruling

DALLAS, TEXAS: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Friday, February 20, dismissed concerns after the Supreme Court blocked a key part of President Donald Trump’s tariff plan, criticizing “gloating Democrats” and the “ill-informed media” for celebrating the decision.

He vowed that the administration would use other laws to maintain its current trade strategy, asserting that “the president has multiple tools in his toolbox.”

Scott Bessent vows to bypass Supreme Court tariff setback

Speaking at the Economic Club of Dallas, Secretary Bessent downplayed the Supreme Court’s 6–3 decision, which stated that the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) did not authorize the president to impose the tariffs for his trade policies.

He argued that the court did not block the tariffs outright but only limited the specific legal tool the White House used to collect the revenue.

“President Trump will always put our national security and Americans first and as I have said before the president has multiple tools in his toolbox,” he said.

It may be noted that the administration initially rolled out these taxes against Mexico, Canada, and China before expanding them worldwide.

Officials argued that the measures were necessary to combat two specific “national emergencies”: the flow of illicit substances across borders and persistent trade deficits that they claimed had weakened American manufacturing.

Scott Bessent rejects Supreme Court tariff setback narrative

Bessent expressed frustration with the reaction from political opponents and the press, accusing them of ignoring the administration’s true intentions. He remained firm that the trade agenda would not be derailed by the judicial ruling.

“Let’s be clear about what today’s ruling was and what it wasn’t, despite the misplaced gloating from Democrats, ill-informed media outlets, and the very people who gutted our industrial base, the court did not rule against President Trump’s tariffs,” Bessent stated.

He added, “Six justices simply ruled that IEPA authorities cannot be used to raise even $1 of revenue,” he explained.

Scott Bessent says 2026 tariff revenue intact

After the court ruled that only Congress has the authority to impose taxes during peacetime, the White House signaled it would turn to other legal tools, including Sections 232 and 301, to pursue its trade agenda.

Bessent maintained that the shift in legal strategy would not reduce federal revenue from tariffs.

He noted, “Treasury’s estimates show that the use of Section 122 authority combined with potentially enhanced Section 232 and Section 301 tariffs will result in virtually unchanged tariff revenue in 2026.”