President Trump initially announced the details of his plan to increase tariffs on imported goods on April 2, 2025, which he hailed as “Liberation Day.” This came after a campaign for king, er, president, in which he proclaimed “tariff” to be the most beautiful word in the English language.
In announcing his “beggar thy neighbor” policy, the man from Mar-a-Lago thus turned back U.S. clocks to the days of President William McKinley, before the enactment of the 16th Amendment in 1913, which created the income tax and ushered in the age of Woodrow Wilson and the rise of the modern Demofiend party.
When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Trump lacked the authority to impose most of the tariffs announced on that April day, Sir Donald immediately imposed a 10-percent across-the-board tariff on all imports. This week, that “most beautiful word” plan to somehow bring manufacturing back to America was again ruled beyond the president’s legal reach.
Two days ago, the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled 2-1 that Trump’s 10-percent, post-SCOTUS tariff was “invalid, and the tariffs imposed on Plaintiffs are unauthorized by law.” The two affirming votes came from Obama appointees, the one dissenting nod from a Dubya appointee. The court did not rule if rebates were required for any tariffs collected under Round Two of Trump Independence.
Meanwhile, the administration is currently in the process of refunding all those billions collected after April 2.
