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President Donald Trump defended his use of tariffs as critical to national security ahead of a landmark Supreme Court case, while warning the U.S. will not tolerate the mass killing of Christians in Nigeria and refusing to rule out potential military action in Venezuela.
Trump spoke with reporters on Air Force One as he flew from West Palm Beach, Florida, to Washington, D.C.
He was asked about the upcoming Supreme Court case on tariffs, which he called “one of the most important decisions in the history of our country.”
Trump argued that the outcome will determine whether presidents can use tariffs freely as a tool for both economic leverage and national security.
TRUMP’S TARIFF POWER GRAB BARRELS TOWARD SUPREME COURT
During a gaggle aboard Air Force One on Sunday, President Donald Trump said, “If we don’t have tariffs, we don’t have national security.” (Ken Cedeno/Reuters)
“Other countries use tariffs against us, and we weren’t able to openly and freely use tariffs against them,” Trump said. “I’ll give you an example – China. That was going to be a disaster for the world, and I was able to settle it very quickly, very easily because I was able to use tariffs. It’s total national security, and economic health is also part of national security, by the way.”
Trump said he will not attend oral arguments to avoid drawing attention to himself, explaining, “It’s not about me. It’s about our country.” Instead, he plans to deliver a speech in Miami.
“I wanted to go so badly,” he said. “I just didn’t want to do anything to deflect from the importance of that decision. If we don’t have tariffs, we don’t have national security, and the rest of the world would laugh at us because they’ve used tariffs against us for years and took advantage of us.”
TRUMP ASKS SUPREME COURT FOR URGENT RULING ON TARIFF POWERS AS ‘STAKES COULD NOT BE HIGHER’
The Supreme Court building is seen in Washington, D.C. President Trump warned that the…
