Texas Border Business
Texas Border Business
Senior White House trade adviser Peter Navarro warned Wednesday that the U.S. economy and national security are at risk as the Supreme Court considers whether President Donald Trump had the authority to impose tariffs under emergency powers.
The remarks were made during an interview on Mornings with Maria Bartiromo on Fox News Business, as the court prepares to hear two cases challenging Trump’s use of tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
“We’re in a perilous situation,” Navarro said. “And the Supreme Court — it is useful to remind them of it. I mean, we don’t have resilient, secure supply chains that will protect us in times of conflict.”
Navarro, who serves as senior counselor for trade and manufacturing, argued that the nation’s heavy reliance on foreign supply chains has weakened economic and national security. “Our economic security is in great peril right now because of that,” he said.
The Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision in January. The cases, Learning Resources Inc. v. Trump and Trump v. V.O.S. Selections Inc., were brought by an educational toy company and a family-owned wine and spirits importer. Both companies argue that Trump exceeded his constitutional authority by imposing tariffs without congressional approval.
At the center of the dispute is whether the International Emergency Economic Powers Act gave the president legal authority to impose the tariffs, or whether that action crossed constitutional limits.
Trump has previously described the cases as “life or death” for the country, saying they will determine how much power a president has to reshape U.S. trade policy during a declared emergency.
Navarro said the emergency standard is clearly met. “Certainly, it’s a national emergency that China is killing us with fentanyl,” he said. He also pointed to the long-term impact of trade deficits. “I, for years, have talked about the corrosive effect of our trade deficit on our national security by offshoring our manufacturing and defense industrial base.”
He said the Supreme Court has sufficient evidence to uphold the tariffs. “The Supreme Court has all the facts before it,” Navarro said. “It would be an extraordinary denial, particularly in light of the incredible success of the policies.”
According to Navarro, the tariffs generated significant revenue and strengthened U.S. negotiating leverage. He said Trump-era trade actions brought “billions and billions” of dollars into the economy and helped secure “better deals” that improved national security.
Navarro framed the broader issue as a global trade imbalance. “The issue is, how do we best defend ourselves against the mercantilism of the world?” he said. “Every country in the world is a major trading partner with which we run a major deficit. It’s like fingerprints. They all screw us in their own ways.”
He emphasized that the administration’s goal has been to rebuild domestic manufacturing. “President Trump is doing everything he can to bring those jobs and factories onshore,” Navarro said. “It takes time, but the things that are taking place now all point in the direction of a strong, secure America.”
Navarro concluded that the outcome depends on whether Trump can continue using tariffs as a security tool. “A strong, secure America,” he said, is possible if President Trump can continue to use tariffs as a national security measure under IEEPA.”
This article is based on reporting and statements aired on Fox News Business.
