Conservative justices sharply question Trump tariffs in high-stakes hearing
President Donald Trump's use of sweeping tariffs faced sharp questioning at the Supreme Court on Wednesday, in a case with major implications for the president's agenda and the global economy.
A majority of justices, including several conservatives, expressed doubts about the White House's justification of the import duties, which the president has said are necessary to restore America's manufacturing base and fix its trade imbalance.
The measures are being challenged by a number of small businesses and a group of states, which contend that the president has overstepped his authority in imposing the levies, which are in effect a tax.
America's top court - which has a 6-3 conservative majority - usually takes months to reach big decisions, but many expect it to move faster in this case, which is also seen as the first major test of the Trump administration's push to expand presidential power.
"And so is it your contention that every country needed to be tariffed because of threats to the defense and industrial base? I mean, Spain? France?" asked Amy Coney Barrett, who was appointed to the court by Trump.
"I could see it with some countries but explain to me why as many countries needed to be subject to the reciprocal tariff policy as are."
Billions of dollars in tariff payments are at stake. If the Trump administration loses, the government could have to refund some of the billions of dollars it has collected, a process that Barrett noted could become a "complete mess".
The White House, which sent Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to the hearing, has said that they will turn to other tariff authorities if the court does not rule in its favour.
"The White House is always preparing for Plan B," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said ahead of the hearing.
Appearing on Fox News on Wednesday after the hearing, Trump said that he thought the day went well.
He added that it would be "devastating" for the country if the administration lost the case and called it "one of the most important cases in the history of our country".
