A federal appeals court has ruled that former President Donald Trump exceeded his emergency powers when enacting broad tariffs. The decision found the tariffs to be unlawful, echoing arguments made by California officials and other parties.
Governor Gavin Newsom responded to the ruling with a statement criticizing Trump’s economic policies. “TRUMP IS AMERICA’S BIGGEST LOSER,” Newsom said.
He continued, “And while Trump might be America’s biggest loser, it’s everyday Americans who are paying the price for his failed economic policies.
When Donald Trump isn’t on the golf course or posting insane late-night Truth Social posts, he is turning a booming national economy into a stagnant one in record time. He knows this, which is why he fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Trump can try to hide the numbers, but American families are feeling the impacts of his failure. His war on affordability and small businesses through his unlawful and chaotic tariff schemes and his job- and economy-killing immigration raids are having real impacts.”
Newsom also noted that in the first six months of Trump’s presidency, U.S. economic growth slowed as a result of administration policies. He stated that households could face $25 billion in additional costs from tariffs and that over 64,000 jobs could be lost in California due to these measures.
“His tariffs could cost households $25 billion and lead to a loss of over 64,000 jobs across California,” Newsom said.
The governor criticized tax cuts given during Trump’s tenure as benefiting wealthy individuals while reducing healthcare and food assistance programs for others.
“In the meantime, Trump gave massive tax cuts to his billionaire friends, while ripping healthcare and food assistance away from Americans, and putting costs on the backs of American families,” he said.
On April 16, Governor Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit arguing that President Trump did not have authority under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act to impose tariffs unilaterally. This legal action claimed such measures harmed California’s economy—one of the largest globally—and affected its manufacturing and agriculture sectors. The recent federal court decision was part of lawsuits brought by private parties and other states but aligned with arguments presented by California officials.
