'WE'RE SCREWED': Trump warns of crisis if SCOTUS rules against tariffs

Jan. 12, 2026 Updated Jan. 13, 2026, 10:57 a.m. ET WASHINGTON ‒ President Donald Trump warned of a financial disaster for the United States if the Supreme Court rules his sweeping global tariffs on imports are illegal. The nation's high court is preparing to issue an opinion as early as Jan. 14. "If the Supreme Court rules against the United States of America on this National Security bonanza, WE’RE SCREWED!" Trump posted Jan. 12 on Truth Social, claiming the United States would be on the hook to pay back "many Hundreds of Billion of Dollars" in revenue collected from the tariffs and "Trillions" more in private investments. As a legal basis for most of his tariffs, Trump declared a national emergency over the United States' trade deficit under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act. But a majority of Supreme Court justices expressed skepticism of Trump's use of emergency powers during oral arguments in November. The federal government collected about $200 billion more in tariffs revenue in 2025 as a result of the president's tariffs on imports from across the world. Tariffs are paid by companies when they import goods from other countries. But Trump said the "the amount of 'payback,'" if the Supreme Court rules against him, extends to the money that companies and other nations are spending to build factories and equipment in the United States to avoid paying the higher tariffs. "When these Investments are added, we are talking about Trillions of Dollars! It would be a complete mess, and almost impossible for our Country to pay," Trump wrote. "Anybody who says that it can be quickly and easily done would be making a false, inaccurate, or totally misunderstood answer to this very large and complex question. "It may not be possible but, if it were, it would be Dollars that would be so large that it would take many years to figure out what number we are talking about and even, who, when, and where, to pay." Trump has often exaggerated the level of private investment in the United States spurred by his tariffs, and some of the companies that have pledged American-based investments have yet to follow through. Trump did not say how he arrived at the "trillions" figure. A ruling against Trump's use of emergency powers to impose tariffs would deliver a massive blow to the centerpiece of Trump's domestic agenda and his favorite tool in trade negotiations with other countries. The ruling also could have major implications on the global economy and Trump's assertions of broad executive authority. In the weeks since justices discussed the tariffs during oral arguments, Trump has routinely pressured the court publicly to rule on his side. The Supreme Court is expected to issue its next rulings on Jan. 14, but it was unclear whether it would include a ruling in the tariff case, which arrived at the Supreme Court on appeal from the Trump administration. The Supreme court does not announce in advance which cases will be decided. A federal appeals court ruled in August that most of Trump's tariffs were unlawful after a legal challenge from a group of businesses opposed to the tariffs. Trump has said he's preparing a "Game 2 plan" to carry out his tariff agenda if the court rules his tariffs are illegal, but he has called other potential avenues "slow in comparison" with his use of emergency powers. Contributing: Reuters Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.