Supreme Court conservatives split sides with liberals in Trump tariffs ruling

Published February 20, 2026 8:20pm ET



The Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling striking down President Donald Trump’s sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs did not fall on ideological lines, and it split the conservative majority down the middle in a consequential decision for Trump’s economic agenda.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion that found the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorize the president to impose tariffs. While the high court has a 6-3 conservative majority, three of the conservative justices dissented, while the other three joined with all three liberal justices to form the majority. Among both the majority and the minority, some justices split on the nuances of the case.

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