By Chinonyerem Emmanuel
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday that it is “very unlikely” the Supreme Court will block President Donald Trump’s use of emergency powers to impose sweeping tariffs, as the justices prepare to rule on the issue, possibly as soon as this week.
Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press, Bessent framed the looming legal challenge as not just a test of presidential authority but a referendum on one of Trump’s core economic strategies.
“I believe that it is very unlikely that the Supreme Court will overrule a president’s signature economic policy,” Bessent said. Pointing to the court’s past restraint, he added, “They did not overrule Obamacare. I believe that the Supreme Court does not want to create chaos.”
Bessent referenced a Supreme Court decision earlier this year in which the justices upheld a central provision of the Affordable Care Act, allowing a federal panel to continue determining which preventive care services insurers must cover at no cost to patients.
In Bessent’s view, that ruling underscores the court’s reluctance to dismantle major policy frameworks with far-reaching economic consequences.
The treasury secretary’s remarks came just one day after Trump announced a fresh round of tariffs on European goods, tying the move directly to his long-running push for US control of Greenland. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the tariffs would remain in place until “a deal is reached for the complete and total purchase of Greenland.”
Trump did not specify which legal authority he was using to justify the tariffs, but the move closely mirrors his previous actions under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA. Under that statute, Trump has already imposed so-called “liberation day” tariffs on dozens of countries.
According to Trump, imports from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland will face a 10 percent tariff starting Feb. 1. That rate will then jump to 25 percent on June 1 if no agreement is reached.
The Supreme Court is expected to rule before the end of its current term on whether Trump’s use of IEEPA to impose tariffs exceeds presidential authority. However, a decision could come much sooner, potentially within days. The law grants presidents broad power to deploy economic measures in response to what it defines as an “unusual and extraordinary threat”.
Bessent argued that Trump’s latest tariffs, particularly those tied to Greenland, fall squarely within that mandate. He characterized the move as a strategic effort to prevent larger conflicts.
“The national emergency is avoiding a national emergency,” Bessent said. “It is a strategic decision by the president. He is able to use the economic might of the United States to avoid a hot war.”
Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in acquiring Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, citing its strategic importance in the Arctic amid rising competition from Russia and China.
In recent weeks, he has intensified pressure on Denmark and its European allies, though leaders in Greenland, Denmark, and across Europe have firmly rejected any notion of a US takeover.
European leaders responded forcefully on Sunday, issuing a joint statement condemning the tariff threats.
“Tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral,” said the leaders of Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. “We will continue to stand united and coordinated in our response.”
The statement emphasized solidarity with Denmark and Greenland, reaffirming commitments to sovereignty and territorial integrity. “We stand ready to engage in a dialogue based on principles we stand firmly behind,” the leaders said.
Diplomatic engagement is already underway. Last week, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio met at the White House with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Greenland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vivian Motzfeldt. Rasmussen later described the talks as “frank but constructive.”
Following the meeting, both sides announced plans to establish a high level working group to discuss Greenland’s future, signaling that dialogue would continue despite rising tensions.
The Trump administration maintains that acquiring Greenland is a national security imperative, arguing it would strengthen US influence in the Arctic and counter growing Russian and Chinese activity in the region.
CNBC has reached out to both the White House and the Treasury Department for clarification on the precise legal authority Trump is invoking for the new European tariffs.
Source: CNBC
Original article
Comments