California has become the first state to take legal action against President Donald Trump over his unpredictable and damaging tariff policies. Governor Gavin Newsom is challenging Trump’s use of the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA), accusing him of overstepping his authority by bypassing Congress.
“Donald Trump does not have the authority to unilaterally impose the largest tax hike of our lifetime with his destructive tariffs,” Newsom said in a statement. “We’re taking him to court.”
Trump’s tariffs were introduced after he declared a national emergency, using the 1977 IEEPA law to argue that he didn’t need Congress’ approval to impose them.
As the country’s largest manufacturing state, top agricultural exporter, and fifth-largest economy in the world, California is set to suffer huge losses from these tariffs.
“The president’s chaotic and haphazard implementation of tariffs is not only deeply troubling, it’s illegal,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta. “Californians are bracing for fallout from the impact of the president’s choices. From farmers in the Central Valley to small businesses in Sacramento and worried families at the kitchen table, this game the president is playing has very real consequences for Californians across our state.”
Earlier this month, the White House announced a significant increase in tariffs on imports from around the world, using a method that has been widely criticized, even by those outside the administration.
As a result, the U.S. is now in a trade war with a distant island that is home to nothing but penguins.
While the U.S. Constitution originally gave Congress the power to set tariffs, the legislative branch has allowed the president to take on some of that responsibility over time. However, Republicans in Congress could still step in and reclaim that power, stopping Trump’s tariffs at any point.
