Supreme Anger

On Friday, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Donald Trump's temper tantrum tariff policy is not tenable.

Using something called the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), Trump has been calling everything an "emergency" and taking unilateral action without involving Congress.

Such as placing tariffs on countries around the world all willy-nilly because someone offended him.

Trump cultists will swear that der Führer is pursuing some kind of goddam 4 dimensional economic chess game to (drum roll) Make America Great Again! 

No, he is not.

Using a very loose interpretation of the IEEPA, Trump applies tariffs on a whim to support his delusional ego that tells him that tariffs are a magic panacea that will make everything better, that other countries are paying money to fill out coffers.

Even though that is not how tariffs work.

At least 6 members of the Supreme Court do understand how tariffs work.

Since tariffs are paid by the importers, not the exporters and those costs are passed on to American consumers, tariffs amount to a tax on the America people and guess what the President does NOT have the power to do?

Levy taxes.

And IEEPA does not give him that power. 

At least 3 Supreme Court justices think that Trump should still be allowed to play with his tariff toys anyway.

Trump appointee Neil Gorsuch who voted with the majority wrote about his concerns on rulings being dependent on who happens to be in the White House.

When Biden tried to involve executive powers to execute a policy without consent from Congress (student loan forgiveness), the Supreme Court ruled no he can't do that.

When Trump tried to involve executive powers to execute a policy without consent from Congress (imposing tariffs),why should the Supreme Court provide a different response?

After the Supreme Court handed down their ruling that Donald Trump does NOT have the power he thinks he has to slap tariffs on everybody, Li'l Donnie made his response known.

I'm So Glad My Suffering Amuses You has exclusive video from the Oval Office of how Trump greeted this news.

OK, my bad. That's a scene from The Untouchables when gang boss Al Capone threatens FBI agent Elliot Ness.  

You know, since Donald Trump talks like a mob boss, my mistake is understandable.

And what Trump did say was not far off from Al Capone's rant. 

To be fair, Presidents in the before times did voice their disagreement and disappointment with rulings by the Supreme Court.

And so Trump too has the right to express that disagreement and disappointment.

But of course, Li'l Donnie couldn't just leave it that.

He got personal. 

He called the justices who voted against his beloved tariffs:

• a disgrace.
• unpatriotic
• fools
• lapdogs
• defying the Constitution
• under the influence of foreign powers
• an embarrassment to their families.

Of the two justices who voted against his tariffs that he appointed, Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, Trump expressed his regret that he had ever nominated them in the first place.

Never mind that Gorsuch and Barrett have been part of a solid 6 vote line up that up until now has capitulated to every whim and complaint from Donald Trump.  

Now with this ONE thing, he wants them DEAD, their families DEAD, their houses... whoops, I'm channeling Al Capone again.

An easy mistake to make since Li'l Donnie blusters and bellows like a crime boss.  (Our boy may wish he was from Manhattan but he will never shake that Queens patois.) 

Anyway, so Trump can't issue trariffs under IEEPA? Well fuck that! Another quasi legal maneuver called Section 122 does permit him to assess tariffs.  It's supposed to be a temporary measure with tariffs ending in 150 days unless approved by Congress. 

But who cares? It's still something that Trump can use to slap tariffs on countries and things.  And damn it, he's gonna use it on EVERYBODY! 

Yep, friend and foe alike! And what exactly did EVERYBODY do to deserve being assessed with tariffs? Well, Trump thinks EVERYBODY has been ripping us off for years!

Nah, Li'l Donnie is throwing a temper tantrum because the Supreme Court was a big ol' meanie who took away his toys.

When Trump first announced these section 122 tariffs, he said they were set at 10% across the board.

The next day, der Führer changed it to 15%.

Why?

Because he's still angry.

Which is no goddam way to run any kind of international economic policy.

Which just sort of underscores the Supreme Court's point.