President Donald Trump warned of "total chaos" if the Supreme Court overturns the tariffs imposed by his administration, highlighting the risks involved in the anticipated decision on Wednesday and the serious challenges that would follow if companies were able to claim a refund of the tariffs they paid.
In a post on Truth Social reflecting his concern about the repercussions of the impending decision, the president wrote: “The actual amounts we will have to pay, if the Supreme Court rules against the United States regarding tariffs for any reason, will amount to hundreds of billions of dollars.”
Trump explained that when adding the amounts that countries and companies will demand as compensation for what they have invested in building factories and facilities and providing equipment to avoid paying those tariffs, the figure could reach trillions of dollars, warning that this “utter chaos” will be impossible for the United States to pay for.
He added: “Anyone who claims that this can be done quickly and easily is giving a wrong or inaccurate answer, or is based on a complete misunderstanding of this complex issue.” He concluded his post by saying: “If the Supreme Court rules against the United States on these enormous national security gains, we will be in real trouble.”
These statements come at a time when companies and a group of states are challenging the "blanket tariffs" first announced by Trump in April 2025, claiming that the president exceeded his authority by imposing these additional duties on the country's imports. If the administration loses the case, the government may have to return billions of dollars that it has already collected.