The U.S. Constitution is clear that Congress, and Congress alone, has the authority to tax the American people, and tariffs are taxes. As Chief Justice John Roberts noted, a month after imposing a 10% additional tariff on Chinese goods, he increased the rate to 20%. Trump’s tariffs destabilized the global economy, while the wild instability made it impossible for U.S. companies to plan. The Tax Foundation estimated that Trump’s tariffs cost the average American household about $1,000 in 2025. Now the Supreme Court has said that the chaos and cost of Trump’s tariffs was for nothing.

Source: New York Times February 21, 2026 07:40 UTC