Trump warns Supreme Court of $3 trillion economic unwind over tariffs

President Donald Trump issued a warning Monday on Truth Social, claiming the U.S. Supreme Court received “wrong numbers” in a pending case challenging his authority to impose tariffs under emergency powers.

Trump said any negative decision could lead to an economic “relaxation” exceeding $3 trillion, calling it an “insurmountable national security event” that would be “devastating to the future of our country — and perhaps unsustainable.”

The Supreme Court is set to review whether Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose tariffs on imported goods without additional approval from congress is legal.

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A ruling against Trump could require the government to return billions of dollars in tariffs collected since 2024, which could reshape US trade policy and test the limits of presidential economic power.

According to Treasury Department data reviewed by FOX Business, the United States collected more than $213 billion in tariff revenue as of late September 2025, including record monthly totals of more than $31 billion in August and more than $31 billion in September. Earlier in the year, revenue ranged from $17.4 billion in April to $29 billion in July.

The numbers highlight the massive scale of Trump’s tariff system, which supporters credit with reviving American manufacturing and reducing dependence on foreign suppliers. Critics say the duties act as hidden taxes on importers and consumers, driving up prices.

White House trade and manufacturing adviser Peter Navarro detailed Trump’s “most powerful weapons” against inflation on “Morning with Maria.” (Photo by Chip Somodevila/Getty Images/Getty Images)

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that tariffs imposed between January and May 2025 will reduce the federal deficit by about $2.8 trillion over the next decade, while slightly reducing gross domestic product and raising inflation by about 0.4 percentage points through 2027.

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A separate Tax Foundation analysis expects long-term tariff revenues to reach about $2.2 trillion, or $1.6 trillion after accounting for lower trade and slower growth.

Annual comparison of customs duty collection. (US Treasury/Fox News/Fox News)

Trump’s roughly $3 trillion figure is in line with the upper range of those estimates, though economists stress it represents an interpretation, not a verified loss figure.

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The post highlights Trump’s efforts to frame the upcoming Supreme Court decision as a battle for economic sovereignty and national security, rather than a narrow dispute over trade law.