After the Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on Friday, Fox News political analyst Guy Benson publicly praised the ruling, arguing that the justices were right to rein in executive overreach and send the issue back to Congress.
The 6-3 decision, authored by Chief Justice John Roberts, found that the tariffs were unlawful under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. In addition to the Court’s three liberal justices, Trump-appointed Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett joined the majority — a fact that quickly drew attention from both supporters and critics of the president’s trade strategy.
“SCOTUS got it right, in my view,” Benson wrote on X. He framed the ruling not as a rebuke of Trump personally, but as a constitutional correction.
“SCOTUS isn’t so much slapping down Trump as it is once again telling Congress to do its job,” Benson wrote. “If we want to use tariffs this way (separate debate, I’m skeptical), we can pass laws constitutionally. Way too much reliance on the executive and judicial branches to do things they won’t/can’t do with the authority they actually have.”
Benson’s comments reflect a broader conservative argument that Congress has increasingly ceded its constitutional powers to the executive branch, particularly in areas such as trade and taxation.
He also addressed what he described as partisan attacks on the Court.
Touching on what he called “the Left’s cynical and dangerous delegitimization campaign against SCOTUS,” Benson wrote, “They lie and pretend this Court just prostrates itself in front of Trump and bends to his will. Not so, including on this big one.”
While Benson welcomed the decision, Trump made clear he was deeply dissatisfied with the outcome. Speaking to reporters during a White House press conference on Friday, the president did not hide his frustration.
“The Supreme Court’s ruling on tariffs is deeply disappointing,” Trump said. “And I’m ashamed of certain members of the court, absolutely ashamed for not having the courage to do what’s right for our country.”
At the same time, Trump singled out the three dissenting justices — Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Brett Kavanaugh — for praise.
“I’d like to thank and congratulate Justices Thomas, Alito, and Kavanaugh for their strength, and wisdom, and love of our country,” Trump said. “When you read the dissenting opinions, there’s no way that anyone can argue against them.”
The decision marks a notable moment in Trump’s relationship with the judiciary, particularly given that two of his own appointees joined the majority opinion.
When asked specifically about Barrett and Gorsuch, Trump did not hold back, calling them “an embarrassment to their families.” He added that they are now “barely” invited to his upcoming State of the Union address.
The split reactions underscore an ongoing debate within conservative circles over the proper balance of power between Congress and the presidency — and how aggressively executive authority should be used to advance trade policy.
