Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated on Sunday that it is “highly improbable” that the Supreme Court will nullify President Donald Trump‘s invocation of emergency powers to enact tariffs, with a potential ruling expected as soon as this week.
“I think it is very improbable that the Supreme Court will countermand a president’s key economic policy,” Bessent remarked on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “They did not reverse Obamacare; I believe the Supreme Court wishes to avoid creating turmoil.”
In June, the Supreme Court affirmed a significant provision of the Affordable Care Act that established a panel to recommend preventive care services that must be offered to patients at no charge by insurers.
Bessent’s remarks followed Trump’s announcement that he would implement a new series of tariffs on imports from Europe until “an agreement is reached for the Complete and Total acquisition of Greenland.”
Trump did not indicate in his Truth Social post which legal authority he was citing to apply the tariffs, yet the action seems to resemble the “liberation day” tariffs he has imposed on various countries under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
The tariffs on products from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland are set to start at 10% on Feb. 1, according to Trump. He stated they would then rise to 25% on June 1.
The Supreme Court is expected to decide on Trump’s use of the IEEPA to impose tariffs before its term concludes, with a ruling potentially occurring as early as this week. The IEEPA provides the president with considerable authority to utilize economic measures in response to an “unusual and extraordinary threat.”
Bessent mentioned that Trump’s new tariffs on Europe related to Greenland represent a reaction to an emergency situation.
“The national emergency is to avert a national crisis,” Bessent stated. “It is a tactical choice made by the president … he is leveraging the economic strength of the U.S. to prevent a hot conflict.”
Trump has persistently aimed to acquire Greenland, the Arctic territory of Denmark, and has intensified his pressure for a U.S. acquisition of the island in recent weeks. Leaders in Greenland, Denmark, and throughout Europe have broadly dismissed Trump’s requests for the territory.
European heads of state from countries affected by the new tariffs reacted on Sunday.
“Tariff threats jeopardize transatlantic relations and could lead to a perilous downward trend. We will maintain our unity and coherence in our reaction,” stated the leaders of Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom in a joint declaration.
“We express our full support for the Kingdom of Denmark and the citizens of Greenland. Building on the dialogue initiated last week, we are prepared to engage in discussions rooted in the tenets of sovereignty and territorial integrity that we uphold,” the statement continued.
Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio convened with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Greenland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vivian Motzfeldt at the White House last week, a meeting Rasmussen characterized as “candid yet productive.”
Following the meeting, the parties announced that the U.S. and Denmark would create a high-level working group to outline Greenland’s future.
The Trump administration asserts that acquiring Greenland is essential to national security to counter the advancements of Russia and China in the area.
CNBC has contacted the White House and the Treasury Department to clarify the legal authority Trump is citing for the new European tariffs.
CORRECTION: Vivian Motzfeldt is indeed Greenland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. A prior version of this article incorrectly stated her title.
This story is ongoing. Please return for updates.
