Trump: Will Be a 'Complete Mess' if SCOTUS Nixes Tariffs

President Trump is warning of economic chaos if the Supreme Court wipes out his signature global tariffs, with a decision expected as early as Wednesday. In a social media post, the president noted "WE'RE SCREWED" if the justices rule against him, arguing that undoing the duties would trigger years of refund fights from businesses and foreign governments, per the Guardian. "It would be a complete mess, and almost impossible for our Country to pay," Trump wrote, predicting long, complex disputes over who should be reimbursed and how much.

The tariffs, launched last April through a series of executive orders, are being challenged by a coalition of small businesses and a dozen states, which say Trump exceeded his authority. Two lower courts have already agreed, finding he lacked the power to impose such sweeping levies on imported goods. The administration has relied on the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which allows a president to regulate certain international transactions in a declared emergency.

During November's oral arguments, several justices signaled skepticism about that rationale, though Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a Trump appointee, echoed the president's words and warned that reversing the taxes already collected could turn into a "complete mess." One person who doesn't seem quite as perturbed over the prospect: Treasury chief Scott Bessent, who on Friday said "it won't be a problem" if the US has to pay out the refunds—the Treasury is said to have close to $775 billion to put toward that—though Bessent said it would be a "corporate boondoggle" if SCOTUS does rule against the tariffs, per the Hill.

Trump this week also escalated his trade pressure linked to Iran, announcing that any country doing business with Tehran will face a 25% tariff on its trade with the US, "effective immediately," per the Guardian. The move comes as Iran faces its largest anti-government protests in years and remains under heavy US sanctions. Meanwhile, Volkswagen reported its US sales fell 8.2% last year, claiming Trump's tariffs "had a marked impact" on North American deliveries, even as its sales rose in Europe and South America. Fortune, meanwhile, notes that "the longer the Supreme Court delays its tariff decision, the better it is for President Trump."