‘Anti-Tariff Means Pro-China’: Donald Trump Vows Alternatives If Supreme Court Blocks Tariffs

Last Updated:January 14, 2026, 01:49 IST

Trump defended his tariff policy in Detroit, accusing critics of backing China and warning of alternate options if the court rules against him.

US President Donald Trump delivers remarks to the Detroit Economic Club at the MotorCity Casino Hotel in Detroit. (IMAGE: AP PHOTO)

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday mounted a fresh defence of his tariff policy, accusing critics and legal challengers of acting in the interests of China, as new Treasury data showed the US budget deficit narrowed in the October–December quarter.

Speaking at the Detroit Economic Club after touring Ford Motor Company’s River Rouge Complex, Trump said tariffs had been central to what he described as America’s economic revival and warned that his administration would pursue alternative measures if a key Supreme Court case went against it.

“We’ll explore other options if the tariffs case is lost," Trump said, adding that opposition to his tariff policy was being driven by “pro-China interests". “An anti-tariff person is a pro-Chinese person," he told the audience.

Trump described tariffs as a historic tool that had once made the US “strong and powerful" and insisted critics had been proven wrong.

“Every prediction the so-called experts made about our tariff policy failed to materialise," he said. “The evidence shows overwhelmingly that the tariffs are not paid by American consumers. They’re paid by foreign nations and middlemen."

Supreme Court Tariffs Challenge

Trump’s comments come as the US Supreme Court prepares to rule on the legality of several sweeping country-specific tariffs imposed during his second term. The court heard arguments late last year, and while sector-specific duties are not affected, a ruling against the administration could significantly curtail broader tariff powers.

At the heart of the case are two key questions: whether the administration was justified in using emergency powers under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose broad tariffs, and whether importers would be entitled to reimbursement if those powers are found to have been misused.

Trump framed the legal challenge as part of a wider geopolitical struggle, claiming the case was influenced by interests aligned with Beijing. He did not cite evidence for the claim.

‘Tariffs Are Bringing Investment Back’

At the Detroit event, Trump again highlighted tariffs on foreign automobiles, saying a 25 percent duty on imported cars had reshaped investment decisions.

“US auto factories are seeing more than $70 billion of new investment," Trump said, adding that much of that money was flowing into Detroit, which he described as the “car-making capital of the world".

Deficit Narrows As Tariff Revenue Rises

Against this backdrop, data released by the US Treasury on Tuesday showed that the federal budget deficit narrowed by 15 percent in the October–December period compared to a year earlier, falling from $711 billion to $602 billion, according to an AFP report.

Overall revenue rose 13 percent to $1.2 trillion, while spending increased two percent to $1.8 trillion. Both figures were record highs, a senior Treasury official told reporters.

Customs duties surged sharply during the period, jumping from $23 billion a year earlier to $94 billion in the first three months of the current fiscal year. Treasury officials said the increase was largely driven by higher tariffs rolled out since Trump returned to the White House.

Trump has repeatedly pointed to tariff revenue as a way to rein in government deficits. In August, he cited a Congressional Budget Office projection estimating that tariff changes could reduce total deficits by $4 trillion over a decade.

News world ‘Anti-Tariff Means Pro-China’: Donald Trump Vows Alternatives If Supreme Court Blocks Tariffs

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