Supreme Court’s tariff ruling could alter 2026 election

By Andrew Rice
The Center Square

The 2026 midterm elections could now be shaped around candidates’ response to the U.S. Supreme Court striking down the bulk of President Donald Trump’s tariff authority. The ruling could have a significant effect on the makeup of Congress heading toward the midterms.

On Friday, justices of the high court said a 1977 law doesn’t give the president broad authority to issue tariffs. Across the country, Democratic candidates have campaigned on affordability and railed against Trump’s tariff policies.

“In [the International Emergency Economic Powers Act’s] half century of existence, no President has invoked the statute to impose any tariffs, let alone tariffs of this magnitude and scope,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote. “That ‘lack of historical precedent,’ coupled with the breadth of authority that the President now claims, suggests that the tariffs extend beyond the President’s ‘legitimate reach.’ “

U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, who is up for reelection in 2028, praised the Supreme Court’s decision and called it “a victory for for the wallets of every American consumer.”

House Majority PAC, a political action committee supporting House Democrats’ campaigns, said it will continue to pursue Trump’s tariffs as a focal point in the 2026 midterms.

“Vulnerable House Republicans repeatedly voted to enable Trump’s tariffs, which raised prices and wreaked economic havoc on American families and businesses,” the organization said in a statement.

Several outspoken Republican critics of Trump’s tariff policies have also praised the Supreme Court’s decision.

“The Supreme Court makes plain what should have been obvious,” said Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky. “This ruling will also prevent a future President such as AOC from using emergency powers to enact socialism.”

On Feb. 11, six Republicans joined Democrats in a vote to overturn Trump’s tariffs on Canada, a sign that the economic policy left some in the GOP weak with upcoming competitive elections.

U.S. Reps. Kevin Kiley, R-California; Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky; Don Bacon, R-Nebraska; Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pennsylvania, and Jeff Hurd, R-Colorado, voted for overturning the tariffs on Canada, alongside most House Democrats.

Bacon praised the Supreme Court’s decision on Friday. Bacon plans to retire from Congress after the 2026 midterm elections. The Cook Political Report favors a Democratic challenger to take over Bacon’s seat after his retirement.

“I feel vindicated,” Bacon said. “Besides the Constitutional concerns I have on the administration’s broad-based tariffs, I also do not think tariffs are a smart economic policy.”

Hurd also praised the court’s decision. His race in Colorado is considered to be likely Republican in favor of his reelection. However, his vote last week is a crucial indicator of divisions among the GOP about tariff authority.

“Today’s decision underscores the need for Congress to play its proper role in trade policy,” Hurd said. “Major trade decisions should rest on clear statutory authority, not expansive emergency interpretations.”