Letters from an American February 20, 2026
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Feb 21, 2026 A deep dive into the Supreme Court striking down unilateral tariff powers and the legal limits of emergency economic authority. Discussion of how tariffs reshaped growth, jobs, and household costs. Examination of political uses of tariffs, rapid rate swings that disrupted businesses, and debate over accountability and refunds for illegally collected duties.
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Court Rejects Emergency Tariff Power
- Heather Cox Richardson explains the Supreme Court struck down Trump's use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose broad tariffs.
- The decision emphasizes that Congress, not the President, holds taxation and tariff authority under the Constitution.
Tariffs Caused Global Instability
- Richardson outlines how Trump used emergency declarations to impose sweeping, arbitrary tariff changes that destabilized markets.
- Rapid, unpredictable tariff swings made planning impossible and pushed trading partners away from the U.S.
Tariffs Were A Hidden Tax On Households
- Economists and analyses showed tariffs act as taxes that fall on U.S. businesses and consumers, raising household costs.
- Estimates put the average household cost between $1,000 and $1,700, shrinking growth and jobs in 2025.