CaliToday (18/11/2025): In an exclusive press gaggle aboard Air Force One on November 14, 2025, President Donald Trump issued a strong warning regarding the potential for the Supreme Court to rule against his administration's authority to impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (IEEPA).
President Trump made it unequivocally clear that if the tariff mechanism were to be invalidated, the United States would be forced to seek alternative measures, but cautioned that it would be "a very sad day for America."
Tariffs as a Diplomatic "War Tool"
The President emphatically stressed that tariffs are not merely economic instruments but are arguably the "most powerful diplomatic weapon" the United States possesses.
He revealed that, just that day, he had successfully averted a burgeoning conflict between two nations simply by threatening to impose tariff a method of intervention he claimed to have used repeatedly to de-escalate conflicts before they turn violent.
Trump explained that the costs of war from the loss of life to economic devastation invariably impact the United States in one way or another. By utilizing tariffs, the U.S. can prevent escalation without the need to deploy troops or engage in other costly military actions.
He warned that if the Supreme Court strips this authority, America would lose a critical ability to defend itself fairly, while other nations remain free to use tariffs to exert pressure on the U.S.
De-escalating the Thailand-Cambodia Conflict
When pressed by reporters whether he was referring to the recent tensions involving Thailand, President Trump confirmed that both nations involved were now “doing very well.”
He confirmed that he had spoken directly with the Prime Ministers of both countries involved and that the situation has now been stabilized. Although the President did not explicitly name the nations, observers understood him to be referencing the long-standing, recently reignited border and military confrontation between Thailand and Cambodia, a region marked by historical boundary disputes.
This anecdote was presented as concrete evidence of the tariff tool's immediate and non-military effectiveness in foreign policy crises.
A Matter of National Security
President Trump concluded that tariffs are a deterrent tool that is “quick, powerful, and effective,” and that maintaining this authority is a "life-or-death" matter for national security.
The Supreme Court case in question challenges the breadth of the President's authority under IEEPA, which allows the Commander-in-Chief to impose economic restrictions (including tariffs) during a declared national emergency. A ruling against the President would severely curtail the executive branch's capacity to use economic leverage as a rapid-response diplomatic tactic, fundamentally reshaping U.S. trade and foreign policy tools.