US President Donald Trump sought to rally supporters Tuesday evening, using his first State of the Union address to tout his economic and immigration policies ahead of November’s midterm elections.
The US president maintained that he has ushered the US into what he described as a new “golden age” and is “winning so much,” seeking to build support for his economic and immigration agendas, including tariffs that have divided support among his fellow Republicans.
“Tonight, after just one year, I can say with dignity and pride that we have achieved a transformation like no one has ever seen before, and a turnaround for the ages. It is indeed a turnaround for the ages,” he said.
“One of the primary reasons for our country’s stunning economic turnaround, the biggest in history, where the Dow Jones broke 50,000 four years ahead of schedule, and the S&P hit 7000, where it wasn’t supposed to do it for many years, were tariffs. I used these tariffs, took in hundreds of billions of dollars, to make great deals for our country, both economically and on a national security basis,” he added.
Trump sharply rebuked the Supreme Court for its “very unfortunate” decision to rule the taxes illegal last week, saying only Congress has the power to institute them. The US president continued to maintain that he retains the authority to impose them, but will now use “alternative legal statutes” that he said “have been tested for a long time.”
“They’re a little more complex, but they’re actually probably better, leading to a solution that will be even stronger than before,” he said.
The US Supreme Court last week ruled that “reciprocal” tariffs, fentanyl-related levies and other related duties imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act were unlawful.
In response, the US president signed an executive order to institute a 10% tariff, which he has since raised to 15%, “over and above our normal tariffs already being charged” on nations around the world later Friday in an attempt to work around the legal defeat.
Additional trade investigations will also be launched under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, he said. The authorities allow a president to impose tariffs on nations deemed to be engaged in “unjustifiable,” and “unreasonable or discriminatory” trade practices.
Trump said that the new global tariff he is imposing would be rooted in Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974.
That act allows a president to impose duties of up to 15% to address “large and serious United States balance-of-payments deficits,” but only for a maximum of 150 days, “unless such period is extended by Act of Congress.”
Trump faces strong headwinds for securing congressional approval for any new tariffs, as even some members of his own party stand in opposition to his tariff policies.
Trump repeatedly tore into Democrats as both chambers of Congress assembled for his annual address, repeatedly saying they should be “ashamed” for refusing to stand and applaud him as he laid out what he said were his successes during his first year in office.
“If you agree with this statement, then stand up and show your support. The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens,” Trump said to applause from congressional Republicans.
“Isn’t that a shame? You should be ashamed of yourself. Not standing up. You should be ashamed of yourself,” he added, directing ridicule toward Democrats.
