At the Supreme Court, the administration cast President Trump’s tariffs as regulatory tools, not taxes, even as Trump has publicly touted a tariff “BONANZA” and the government’s brief unusually quoted him on “trillions” being paid. The distinction is pivotal: if deemed a tax, the justices could strike them; as diplomacy, they may stand. By adopting Trump’s rhetoric, Solicitor General D. John Sauer may have invited scrutiny. Justices probed revenue effects, and Trump later said his tariffs bring in “hundreds of billions.” Legal scholars weighed in, and Harold Koh urged the court to reject emergency-based justifications.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.