Economists Challenge Trump’s Tariffs Ahead of Supreme Court Hearing

Ben Bernanke, Janet Yellen, and nearly 50 economists across the political spectrum have filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn former President Trump's global tariffs. The 600-word brief, submitted last Friday, condemns the tariffs as economically meaningless and legally unfounded, arguing they distort trade fundamentals and harm households, industries, and states.

The economists—including Greg Mankiw, Jason Furman, and Douglas Holtz-Eakin—assert that Trump's trade war was predicated on flawed economic logic. Trade deficits, they note, are a normal feature of global commerce, not a crisis requiring emergency measures. Tariffs, they argue, fail to address imbalances while inflicting trillions in collateral damage. 'This is Economics 101,' the brief states, 'but the implications are profound.'

The Supreme Court will review the case on November 5, examining whether Trump's use of the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act to justify tariffs exceeded congressional intent. The economists contend the law was misapplied to create policy far beyond its original scope.