WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump has once again defended his controversial trade strategy, declaring “tariff” to be his favourite word in the English language and crediting his policies with restoring America’s economic power.
Speaking Tuesday at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Trump told military officials that tariffs imposed on trading partners have generated “trillions of dollars” for the United States — money he claimed was “enough to buy a lot of battleships.”
“I love tariffs. Most beautiful word, but I’m not allowed to say that anymore. Tariff is my favourite word. I love the word tariff. We’re becoming rich as hell,” Trump said. “Other countries were taking advantage of us for years and years. Now we’re treating them fairly.”
The remarks came just weeks before the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear a series of cases in early November challenging Trump’s use of emergency powers under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to levy sweeping tariffs. A federal appeals court recently upheld a lower court ruling that found his use of IEEPA illegal, but Trump has indicated he remains confident of victory.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer reinforced that stance, telling reporters that the administration intends to continue using tariffs as a central pillar of trade policy “win or lose” at the Supreme Court. “We are very confident in the case. We believe that the court will defer to the president on the emergency,” Greer said. “But even if not, reciprocal tariffs imposed in August show how it’s going to be going forward.”
Trump’s insistence on tariffs as a cornerstone of economic strategy has drawn sharp criticism from economists and businesses alike, many of whom argue that the levies amount to hidden taxes on American consumers. Nevertheless, both Trump and senior officials claim the policies are bringing unprecedented revenue into federal coffers and reducing America’s dependence on foreign adversaries.
The Supreme Court’s decision in November could set a landmark precedent for presidential powers in trade policy. Until then, Trump shows no sign of abandoning the rhetoric he says reflects his vision of America’s economic revival.