Prior to the administration of President Donald Trump, the United States played the role of “Uncle Sucker,” and was the victim of unfair trade policies worldwide. American goods were either rejected by other countries or faced massive duties, while foreign goods were allowed to flow into our country with minimal tariffs.
Under President Trump, these policies have thankfully changed. In the last fiscal year, tariff revenue for the United States dramatically rose to $215.2 billion, compared to only $77 billion the previous year.
In October of 2025, the first month of the new fiscal year, the country realized an amazing $35.9 billion in tariff revenue. According to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the President’s tariff policies will garner at least $500 billion in revenue annually.
These successful policies could be stopped by the United States Supreme Court, which heard oral arguments last week on the President’s authority to levy these tariffs.
Trump is using “emergency powers” to issue the tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which was enacted in 1977. The IEEPA gives the President the authority to “regulate a variety of economic transactions following a declaration of national emergency.”
The President’s authority has been challenged by his political opponents, who were successful in a federal appeals court, which ruled in August that these tariff powers lie with Congress and not the Executive Branch.
The administration appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court, who may render a decision by the end of the year. Some legal analysts believe the oral arguments indicated that most of the Supreme Court Justices are skeptical of the President’s legal authority to increase such tariffs.
In a social media post, President Trump responded to the Supreme Court debate, “So, let’s get this straight??? The President of the United States is allowed (and fully approved by Congress!) to stop ALL TRADE with a Foreign Country (Which is far more onerous than a Tariff!), and LICENSE a Foreign Country, but is not allowed to put a simple Tariff on a Foreign Country, even for purposes of NATIONAL SECURITY. That is NOT what our great Founders had in mind! The whole thing is ridiculous! Other Countries can Tariff us, but we can’t Tariff them??? It is their DREAM!!! Businesses are pouring into the USA ONLY BECAUSE OF TARIFFS. “HAS THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT NOT BEEN TOLD THIS??? WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON???”
The President is exactly right; tariffs are a tool he needs to protect American businesses and our national security. It has worked magnificently during the past year in many respects, including forging peace deals between warring countries.
Despite the successful record, many overrated economists warned that tariffs would cause inflation to skyrocket. In contrast, the latest inflation rate is only 3.02%, which compares very favorably to the 9% inflation of the disastrous administration of President Joe Biden.
Thus, the negative consequences of tariffs have not been realized, while the benefits have been numerous. The President noted several in another social media post, “We are taking in Trillions of Dollars and will soon begin paying down our ENORMOUS DEBT…Record Investment in the USA, plants and factories going up all over the place.”
In addition, the President promised due to tariff revenues “A dividend of at least $2000 a person (not including high income people!) will be paid to everyone.”
This is welcome news to Americans trying to recover from the horrible economic agenda of the Biden administration. This commonsense policy has the support of U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO), who previously introduced legislation to provide Americans with $600 tariff rebates. He said, “My legislation would allow hard-working Americans to benefit from the wealth that Trump’s tariffs are returning to this country.”
While the enormous revenue flowing into the country and the potential dividend paid to Americans are incredibly positive aspects of the President’s tariff policies, Treasury Secretary Bessent claims there is an even more important benefit. In an interview that aired on Sunday on ABC’s This Week program, Bessent stated that the tariffs are mainly “intended to rebalance trade.”
Reciprocal tariffs are essential to creating a free and fair-trade environment worldwide. The United States cannot continue to withstand the worst of unfair trade policies which have led to a massive outflow of American jobs and manufacturing to other countries.
In the 2024 campaign, President Trump was very outspoken about his trade policies. It was a major plank of his Make America Great Agenda (MAGA) platform.
The American people liked what they heard during the campaign and rewarded President Trump with a landslide victory. Now, he is following through on his campaign promises, but, as usual, he is facing legal hurdles launched by his political opponents.
Of course, the President is fighting back on social media. He posted, “People that are against Tariffs are FOOLS! We are now the Richest, Most Respected Country in the World, With Almost No Inflation, and A Record Stock Market Price. 401k’s are (the) Highest Ever.”
As President Trump asserted, one of the best features of his tariff policy will be the ability to pay down the country’s rapidly increasing national debt. It currently stands at $38.1 trillion, compared to just $5.7 trillion in January of 2001.
Despite the best efforts of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), federal spending is out of control. The debt is rapidly accelerating at a rate that is unprecedented in American history. Tariff revenue is a valuable tool in attacking this skyrocketing debt.
Once again, a key part of the MAGA agenda is being decided by the Supreme Court. If the President loses this ruling, his administration may use Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 to implement his tariffs, yet that approach is vulnerable to legal challenges.
Fortunately, his tariff policies on items such as steel, aluminum and automobiles will not be impacted by this Supreme Court decision giving Trump at least one presidential power that is not in jeopardy of a legal challenge.
Jeff Crouere is a native New Orleanian and his award-winning program, “Ringside Politics,” airs Saturdays from Noon until 1 p.m. CT nationally on Real America’s Voice TV Network & AmericasVoice.News and weekdays from 7-9 a.m. & 6-7 p.m. CT on WGSO 990-AM & Wgso.com. He is a political columnist, the author of America’s Last Chance, and provides regular commentaries on the Jeff Crouere YouTube channel and at Crouere.net. For more information, email him at jcrouere@gmail.com
