White House ahead of Supreme Court test on Trump’s tariff powers

The White House has said it is “always preparing for Plan B” as the United States Supreme Court begins hearing a major case on President Donald Trump’s authority to impose reciprocal tariffs. The outcome could determine how much power the President holds over trade policy and set a precedent for future administrations.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration remained fully confident in the legality of its actions but had prepared for every possible outcome. “The White House is always preparing for Plan B. It would be imprudent of the President’s advisers not to prepare for such a situation,” she said.

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Leavitt added that the government’s legal team was “100 per cent confident” in its case and expected the court to uphold the President’s powers. “We are confident in the President and his team’s legal arguments and the merits of the law. We remain optimistic that the Supreme Court is going to do the right thing,” she said.

According to Leavitt, the case was not about one administration alone but about defining the scope of executive power for future Presidents. “This case is not just about President Trump; it’s about the emergency authorisation of tariffs for future Presidents and the administrations to come,” she said. She also reiterated Trump’s view that “economic security is inseparable from national security.”

Ahead of the hearing, Trump called the case “critical to the nation’s future,” describing it as a defining moment for America’s economic and national interests. Writing on his social media platform, Truth Social, he said, “Tomorrow’s United States Supreme Court case is, literally, life or death for our country. With a victory, we have tremendous, but fair, financial and national security. Without it, we are virtually defenceless against other countries that have, for years, taken advantage of us.”

Trump also linked the case to his administration’s broader economic policies, noting that the US stock market had reached record highs. “Our country has never been more respected than it is right now. A big part of this is the economic security created by tariffs and the deals that we have negotiated because of them,” he wrote.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that he would attend the Supreme Court hearing in person, signalling the case’s significance to the administration’s trade and economic agenda. Speaking to Fox News, he said, “I’m actually going and sit hopefully in the front row and listen, have a ringside seat.”

Bessent’s presence underscores the administration’s message that the issue is about defending American economic sovereignty. The case challenges whether the President can use emergency trade powers to impose tariffs on nations that the administration believes have engaged in unfair trade practices.

The Supreme Court’s ruling is expected to have far-reaching consequences. A verdict limiting the President’s tariff authority could shift greater control over trade back to Congress, while an outcome in Trump’s favour would reinforce the executive branch’s power in responding swiftly to global economic threats.

While the administration remains optimistic about the court’s decision, officials have stressed that they are ready to act under any scenario to ensure policy continuity. “We prepare for every possibility,” Leavitt said, adding that Trump’s economic policies would continue to prioritise “American strength, fairness, and security.”