Democrats cheer Supreme Court move blocking Trump tariffs - despite past support for trade duties

Democrats quickly applauded the Supreme Court's decision Friday blocking President Donald Trump's tariff strategy, calling the duties an unfair tax on Americans, even as some in the party have previously supported using tariffs as leverage in trade disputes.

"The Supreme Court decision striking down the harmful Trump tariffs is a big victory for the American people. And another crushing defeat for the wannabe king," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said in a statement.

"Trump's illegal tariff tax just collapsed. He tried to govern by decree and stuck families with the bill. Enough chaos. End the trade war," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in an X post of his own.

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The Supreme Court ruled that Trump lacks power to impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), a law that gives presidents powers to "regulate" transactions with foreign entities in response to "unusual and extraordinary threats."

The Court ruled in a 6-3 decision that the law falls short of including tariff powers.

Yet several prominent Democrats have previously supported tariffs when wielded for their own policy goals.

Despite condemning Trump's use of IEEPA in his second term, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., once urged Congress on the House floor to use tariffs to push back on China's growing market power.

"In terms of tariffs, it's interesting to note that the average U.S. MFN [Most Favored Nation] tariff on Chinese goods coming into the United States is 2%, whereas the average MFN tariff on U.S. goods going into China is 35%," Pelosi said, referring to tariffs China had imposed on the U.S.

Further, former President Joe Biden largely left Trump's first-term tariffs against China in place with little resistance from Democrats, who controlled both chambers of Congress at the time.

Trump, in his second term, has used tariffs as a point of leverage against other countries, threatening steeper trade costs with countries that didn't see eye-to-eye with the goals of his administration.

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Trump argued his policies would enable the country to bring in more revenue while also achieving more of its goals abroad.

According to data provided by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Trump's tariffs brought in $30.4 billion in January alone. Over the past fiscal year, the Treasury indicated the tariffs had raked in $124 billion.

At least one House Republican argued that Democrats' celebration was ironic given their opposition to tax breaks included in the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act.

"It is interesting how Democrats are upset that foreigners are being taxed yet they are promoting tax increases across the board, and they never reduced taxes on overtime, tips, or Social Security when they were in power in 2021 and 2022," the House GOP lawmaker said. "If they truly believed in fair trade, they would've pushed harder on the Chinese especially, but they clearly failed to do so."

That past and present political reality did little to slow the good times from rolling for several congressional Democrats on Friday.

Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, praised the Supreme Court's decision, framing tariffs as an illegitimate way to increase the country's revenue.

"This ruling is a victory for every American family paying higher prices because of Trump's tariff taxes. The Supreme Court rejected Trump's attempt to impose what amounted to a national sales tax on hardworking Americans," Boyle said in a statement.

Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., the chairman of the New Democrat Coalition on Trade & Tariffs Task Force, echoed Boyle's thinking. 

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"[Trump] has repeatedly disregarded the Constitution to unilaterally impose sweeping tariffs without credible reason or cause, crushing American consumers and small businesses under these new taxes to help pay for giveaways to his wealthy friends. Now, at last, the Supreme Court has ruled that he broke the law to do so," Beyer said.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said the court had sided with the longstanding criticisms from Democrats over concerns about Trump's unilateral powers on tariffs.

"GOOD NEWS: The Supreme Court just ruled that Trump's tariffs imposed under his 'emergency authorities' are unlawful. They affirmed what we've been saying this whole time: Only Congress has the power to impose taxes, which includes Trump's reckless tariffs," Jayapal said in a post to social media.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.