Bulwark Takes BREAKING: Supreme Court BLOCKS Trump's Tariffs
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Feb 20, 2026 
Catherine Rampell, economics editor and columnist who writes the Receipts newsletter, breaks down the Supreme Court’s block of Trump’s tariffs. She explains the Court’s legal reasoning, the macroeconomic fallout of reversing tariffs, who might get refunds, and whether the administration or Congress can remake tariff policy. Short, sharp takes on legal doctrine, supply-chain chaos, and the political stakes.
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Court Reins In Presidential Tariff Power
- The Supreme Court struck down the bulk of Trump's IEEPA tariffs as an unconstitutional overreach of executive power.
- The decision hinged on the major-questions doctrine and rejected the administration's broad emergency authority claims.
Major Questions Doctrine Decided The Case
- The ruling applied the major-questions doctrine to say Congress must be explicit when delegating huge economic powers.
- Chief Justice Roberts warned Congress would not pawn such big policy calls off to the executive branch.
Volatility Harms More Than Tariff Levels
- Tariff volatility—slapping them on and off—creates extra economic harm beyond the tariffs themselves.
- That policy-induced chaos raises costs as firms scramble supply chains and investment plans.