Are Trump's tariffs legal?

Planet Money

2025/06/11

Overview Shownote Highlights Transcript Chapters Pins

Shownote

When President Trump announced his sweeping new tariffs this year, many trade law experts were startled. Typically, presidents don't have the authority to impose broad tariffs with a snap of their fingers. But Trump's advisors have an unusual new legal th...

Highlights

The podcast explores the legal controversies surrounding President Trump's use of tariffs, focusing on his unprecedented application of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). It delves into the implications of this legal strategy and the ensuing court battles that challenge the extent of presidential power in trade policy.

03:08

Susan Weber and her lawyer sued the federal government over illegal tariffs.

13:35

President Trump used the IEEPA to impose new tariffs on multiple countries.

24:06

Congress can't give the president unconstrained tariff-making power.

Chapters

How Did Montana Challenge Trump's Tariffs?

00:00

Can IEEPA Justify Global Tariffs?

13:35

Will the Courts Halt Trump's Trade Policies?

24:06

Transcript

Speaker 5: This message comes from Carrier, delivering intelligent climate and energy solutions to data centers. Reliable cooling that increases energy efficiency and reduces carbon footprints. Discover how Carrier optimizes data center life cycles at Carr...