The president had said Oct. 15 he would attend but now says his presence would be a distraction from an important court case.
President Donald Trump said on Nov. 2 that he no longer plans to attend this week’s Supreme Court oral arguments about his reciprocal tariffs.
The president was referring to the hearing the high court is scheduled to have on Nov. 5 in two consolidated cases known as Learning Resources Inc. v. Trump and Trump v. V.O.S. Selections Inc. On Sept. 9, the court agreed to expedite review of lower court rulings that struck down most of the president’s global tariffs.
The levies being challenged are reciprocal tariffs imposed on imports from other countries to match the tariffs and other trade barriers that they already impose on U.S. exports.
Although sitting presidents don’t normally attend Supreme Court arguments, Trump had said on Oct. 15 that he would be in the audience for the argument of “one of the most important cases ever brought.”
If the tariffs are struck down, “it’ll be a disaster for America,” he said at the time.
“That’s why I think I’m going to go to the Supreme Court to watch it. I’ve not done that, and I had some pretty big cases. This is … one of the most important cases ever brought, because we will be defenseless against the world.”
However, on Nov. 2, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he had decided against attending because he didn’t “want to call a lot of attention to me. It’s not about me, it’s about our country.”
“I’ll be going to Miami and make a speech in front of a large group of people in Miami, and said I wanted to go so badly. I just don’t want to do anything to deflect the importance of that decision.”
Also on Nov. 2, Trump posted on Truth Social about what effect the Supreme Court’s eventual ruling in the case might have on the country.
“It will be, in my opinion, one of the most important and consequential Decisions ever made by the United States Supreme Court,” he wrote.
“If we win, we will be the Richest, Most Secure Country anywhere in the world, BY FAR. If we lose, our Country could be reduced to almost Third World status—Pray to God that that doesn’t happen!”
