Trump’s 12 seconds of justice
At last year’s State of the Union, President Donald Trump warmly greeted the Supreme Court justices in attendance. That wasn’t the case this year.
It was no surprise when Donald Trump doubled down on his criticism of the US Supreme Court’s tariffs decision in the State of the Union address yesterday afternoon Australia time.
But the president didn’t wait until he reached the podium to show his displeasure. A frosty reception for the judges — and a gap of 12 seconds compared with 2025 — made it obvious.
Trump went loco only hours after the 6-3 decision, handed down last Friday, barred him from using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose tariffs, such as the 10% duty currently applied to Australia.
He maintained the rage over the weekend, accusing the court of “disloyalty”.
It grieved him that two of the three judges he appointed in his first term were in the majority — Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett. Trump said Gorsuch and Barrett were “an embarrassment to their families”.
