Trump says US military power would be ‘instantly obliterated’ without tariffs

Published August 31, 2025 3:36pm ET



President Donald Trump said Sunday that U.S. military strength would be “instantly obliterated” without his tariffs, also claiming the nation would be “completely destroyed.”

A U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled 7-4 that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not grant the U.S. president the power to levy tariffs, ruling the tariffs Trump announced on multiple countries unlawful. The decision upheld the U.S. Court of International Trade’s ruling that the tariffs exceeded the president’s powers under IEEPA.

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