What happened
Twelve states, led by Oregon, sued the Trump administration Wednesday in the U.S. Court of International Trade, seeking to halt tariffs they said were illegal, arbitrary and damaging to their economies. California filed its own lawsuit against President Donald Trump's tariff policy in federal court last week.
Who said what
Only Congress can impose tariffs, the dozen state attorneys general argued in their lawsuit. Trump has "upended the constitutional order and brought chaos to the American economy" by "claiming the authority to impose immense and ever-changing tariffs on whatever goods entering the United States he chooses, for whatever reason he finds convenient to declare an emergency."
States "don’t have the luxury of standing by" as Trump "pushes an unlawful policy that drives up prices at the grocery store and spikes utility bills," Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield (D) said in a statement. White House spokesperson Kush Desai called the lawsuit a "witch hunt" by Democrats and said the administration "remains committed to using its full legal authority to confront the distinct national emergencies our country is currently facing."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What next?
Trump's poll numbers continue to slide — only 37% of Americans approved of his handling of the economy in a Reuters poll released Wednesday, while Gallup and a New York Times average of polls put his overall approval number at 44%, down from 52% in January. But "so far, the only force that has reliably prompted him to back down is Wall Street," The Wall Street Journal said.
-
August 31 editorial cartoonsCartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include FEMA's new scheme, Gavin Newsom's antics, and a clue in the Epstein files
-
Disarming Hezbollah: Lebanon's risky missionTalking Point Iran-backed militia has brought 'nothing but war, division and misery', but rooting them out for good is a daunting and dangerous task
-
Woof! Britain's love affair with dogsThe Explainer The UK's canine population is booming. What does that mean for man's best friend?
-
Lisa Cook and Trump's battle for control the US FedTalking Point The president's attempts to fire one of the Federal Reserve's seven governor is represents 'a stunning escalation' of his attacks on the US central bank
-
Did Trump just push India into China's arms?Today's Big Question Tariffs disrupt American efforts to align with India
-
RFK Jr. names new CDC head as staff revoltSpeed Read Kennedy installed his deputy, Jim O'Neill, as acting CDC director
-
Why is Trump suddenly interested in his enemies' mortgages?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the president continues targeting adversaries, he's turned to a surprising ally to provide ammunition for an emerging line of attack
-
'A symbol of the faceless corporate desire'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Truck drivers are questioning the Trump administration's English mandateTalking Points Some have praised the rules, others are concerned they could lead to profiling
-
DC prosecutors lose bid to indict sandwich throwerSpeed Read Prosecutors sought to charge Sean Dunn with assaulting a federal officer
-
White House fires new CDC head amid agency exodusSpeed Read CDC Director Susan Monarez was ousted after butting heads with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over vaccines
