In a back-and-forth with journalists in the Oval Office on Thursday, President Trump made what Reuters sees as a notable shift in semantics about his tariffs—he acknowledged that they were costing Americans to some degree. It came when he was pressed about comments from Chief Justice John Roberts, who described tariffs as taxes paid by Americans. "No, I don't agree," said Trump when asked about Roberts' characterization, per Mediaite. "I think that they might be paying something. But when you take the overall impact, the Americans are gaining tremendously."
It's a departure from Trump's long-standing argument that foreign governments are footing the bill for US tariffs, notes Reuters, which points out that many economists argue that tariffs are, in fact, paid by the consumers of the goods purchased. Trump's acknowledgment comes as the Supreme Court weighs the legality of Trump's authority to impose the financial penalties. During arguments this week, several justices expressed skepticism about the administration's legal arguments, raising the prospect that Trump could lose a key tool in his trade arsenal.
"I think it'd be devastating for our country, but I also think that we'll have to develop a 'game two' plan," said Trump on the prospects of a court loss. "We'll see what happens," he added. "I can't imagine that anybody would do that kind of devastation to our country." Since taking office, Trump has used tariffs as both an economic and diplomatic lever, targeting imports from China, Canada, the European Union, and other trading partners. He has argued that these measures are necessary to counteract what he sees as unfair trade practices and to level the playing field for American businesses.
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