Now that the Supreme Court has blown up Donald Trump’s global tariff scheme, Democratic governors and companies across the country are lining up with a simple message: pay it back.
After the Court’s 6–3 ruling declared Trump’s sweeping tariffs illegal under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, California Gov. Gavin Newsom demanded the administration start cutting checks — with interest.
“Time to pay the piper, Donald. These tariffs were nothing more than an illegal cash grab that drove up prices and hurt working families, so you could wreck longstanding alliances and extort them,” Newsom said. “Every dollar unlawfully taken must be refunded immediately — with interest. Cough up!”
Newsom’s office pointed to a Yale report estimating the tariffs cost the average family $1,751 last year.
The Supreme Court decision wiped out what the Trump administration had touted as the most significant economic and foreign policy initiative of his second term, according to The Hill. The ruling targeted tariffs imposed under emergency powers — including the broad “reciprocal” levies Trump slapped on nearly every other country.
California had already sued, arguing Trump lacked authority to unilaterally impose the tariffs under the emergency law. The justices agreed.
Now the fallout could be massive. Companies across the country are expected to push for refunds on billions paid under tariffs that are no longer valid. The Court’s ruling did not spell out how those repayments would happen.
Major corporations weren’t waiting around. Before the decision, Costco, parts of the Toyota Group, Revlon, and hundreds of other companies had filed lawsuits to preserve their claims.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker isn’t waiting either.
In a letter to the White House, Pritzker blasted Trump’s trade policy and demanded reimbursement for families in his state.
“Your tariff taxes wreaked havoc on farmers, enraged our allies, and sent grocery prices through the roof. This morning, your hand-picked Supreme Court Justices notified you that they are also unconstitutional,” Pritzker wrote.
He’s calling for $1,700 per Illinois household. With more than 5,105,448 households in the state, Pritzker put the total at $8,679,261,600.
The governor didn’t lay out exactly how the refunds would be distributed but made clear Illinois is prepared to take further action if the administration refuses.
Federal data cited by the Associated Press shows the U.S. Treasury collected more than $133 billion from the import taxes imposed under the emergency powers law as of December 2025. The long-term economic impact over the next decade was estimated at roughly $3 trillion.
“The Supreme Court has ruled that this is yet one more unconstitutional act by you and your administration,” Pritzker wrote.
Trump, for his part, fumed Friday afternoon, saying he was “absolutely ashamed” of the justices who struck down his tariffs and calling the decision “deeply disappointing,” and slamming the justices “a disgrace to the nation.”
However, even some Republicans are piling on. Illinois GOP Rep. Darin LaHood said, “Today’s Supreme Court ruling clarified the scope of IEEPA authority,” adding that “we need to be cautious about predicating our entire U.S. economy on blanket tariffs.”
