 "Trump slams tariff ruling by court, says US could be 'completely destroyed'")
US President Donald Trump on Sunday hit out at a federal appeals court ruling that invalidated most of the tariffs his administration imposed, saying the country would be “completely destroyed” without them and its military power “instantly obliterated”.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump criticised the judges behind the 7-4 decision as a “Radical Left group” but praised one Democratic, Obama-appointed judge for “vot[ing] to save our country”.
“Without tariffs, and all of the TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS we have already taken in, our Country would be completely destroyed, and our military power would be instantly obliterated. In a 7 to 4 Opinion, a Radical Left group of judges didn't care, but one Democrat, Obama appointed, actually voted to save our country. I would like to thank him for his Courage! He loves and respects the USA,” Trump wrote.
Tariffs exceeded executive authority
Trump’s remarks came after a US federal appeals court on Friday struck down several tariffs imposed by him, observing that he overstepped his authority by using emergency powers to impose them, according to CNN.
The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, in an unsigned opinion, affirmed a lower court ruling, noting that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not allow the type of tariffs Trump enacted. The court described the move as an unprecedented overreach of executive authority, adding that taxing and levying tariffs is a power granted by the Constitution to Congress.
Trump had earlier called the decision by the “highly Partisan Appeals Court” wrong but said all tariffs would remain in effect.
“ALL TARIFFS ARE STILL IN EFFECT! Today a Highly Partisan Appeals Court incorrectly said that our Tariffs should be removed, but they know the United States of America will win in the end. If these Tariffs ever went away, it would be a total disaster for the Country. It would make us financially weak, and we have to be strong,” Trump said.
The court, however, postponed enforcement of its ruling until October, giving the Trump administration time to appeal to the Supreme Court.
Navarro defends tariffs, criticises India
White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro defended the 50 per cent tariffs on Indian imports, claiming they were necessary to counter “profiteering at the expense of the Indian people".
In an interview with Fox News, Navarro said Indian refiners profited from discounted Russian crude. “Before Putin invaded Ukraine in February 2022, India barely bought Russian oil. Very small amounts. What happened? Russian refiners got into bed with big oil in India. Putin gives Modi a discount on crude, they refine it, and then ship it to Europe, Africa, and Asia at a big premium. They make a ton of money,” Navarro said.
He further linked India’s trade to Russia’s war in Ukraine. “What’s wrong with that picture? It fuels the Russian war machine. India is essentially a laundromat for the Kremlin. It kills Ukrainians. And what do US taxpayers have to do? Send more money so Ukraine can defend itself,” he said.
India’s Russia, China links criticised
Navarro also criticised India’s trade policies, saying, “On top of that, 25 per cent of the 50 per cent tariff is because India has the highest tariffs in the world. They won’t let us sell to them, so who gets hurt? Workers in America, taxpayers in America, Ukrainians being killed by Russian drones.”
While calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “great leader", Navarro questioned India’s ties with Russia and China: “I don’t understand why he’s getting into bed with Putin and Xi Jinping when he’s the leader of the biggest democracy in the world... Please understand what’s going on here. You’ve got Brahmins profiteering at the expense of the Indian people. We need that to stop.”
Navarro’s comments echoed earlier remarks by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who said Indian refiners earned “$16 billion in excess profits” from Russian crude since 2022.
India rejects ‘profiteering’ allegations
India has strongly denied the claims. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had said, “If you have a problem buying oil or refined products from India, don’t buy it. Nobody forces you to buy it. But Europe buys, America buys, so you don’t like it, don’t buy it.”
Indian officials have also criticised the US stance as hypocritical, pointing out that the US and EU continue to import Russian goods.
[With agency inputs]