White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller decried the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the “emergency” tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, claiming they restored U.S. manufacturing. He also warned that there are other ways for Trump to reinstate them.
“President Trump got elected in large part to bring back our supply chains, reshore our manufacturing base, bring back our jobs from overseas,” Miller told Fox News host Laura Ingraham on Friday. “Over the last year, his historic program of tariffs has done exactly that.”
“That’s why we’ve seen record job growth, record wage growth and record reshoring of vital manufacturing jobs … President Trump has brought inflation down to 1.4%, an ideal benchmark rate according to economists,” Miller added.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported earlier this month that inflation is currently at 2.4%.
The Supreme Court upheld an essential separation of powers Friday with its historic 6-3 decision, which ruled that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not authorize the president to impose tariffs.
Miller cited U.S. Justice Clarence Thomas and his dissent from the majority opinion, stating that it “so brilliantly and eloquently” argued that Congress has “consistently delegated” commerce decisions to the president, including “the power to impose duties on imports.”
“Under the Emergency Economic Powers Act, the president has the authority to regulate foreign trade, and going back to the founding of the country, the term ‘regulate’ has always meant and included the power to levy duties,” Miller continued.
Trump suggested in November that he would find other ways to impose his tariffs, and on Friday announced a 10% levy on all U.S. imports — which he raised to 15% on Saturday morning.
Miller confirmed to Ingraham that the administration isn’t giving up.
“But here’s the good news, Laura,” he said Friday. “As cowardly, as horrendous as the Supreme Court ruling was, as poorly as it reflects on John Roberts’ court, and the continued torturing of our statutes and our constitution, here is the good news.”
Miller continued, “The court also affirmed the president has the authority under Section 301, Section 232, Section 122, Section 338 … that the president can levy tariffs on foreign nations. So his program will not only be fully reconstituted, but it’ll be expanded.”
Inu Manak, a senior fellow for international trade at the Council on Foreign Relations, suggested in an article on Friday that the aforementioned statutes might indeed help Trump forge ahead.
Social media users certainly forged ahead with their ire over Miller’s Fox appearance.