Lutnick expects Supreme Court to side with Trump on tariffs, opening door to $2K payouts
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Monday the Trump administration is confident it will win its trade case before the Supreme Court, which centers on new tariffs the White House says are needed to defend American manufacturing against unfair foreign competition.
"Tariffs are going to be a part of this administration's national security and national economic protection of the American people," Lutnick told FOX Business' Maria Bartiromo on "Mornings with Maria."
"We are gonna win the case, it's pretty clear," he said, adding that he attended the oral arguments at the Supreme Court.
TRUMP CALLS TARIFF OPPONENTS 'FOOLS,' PROMISES $2K DIVIDEND PAYMENTS FOR AMERICANS
When asked what options the president has if the court rules against the administration, Lutnick said President Donald Trump has "all sorts of policies and tools" available, referencing provisions in U.S. trade law such as Sections 232, 301 and 338, which allow the government to impose tariffs or other restrictions in the name of national security or to counter unfair trade practices.
Lutnick, speaking from Brussels, where he was meeting with European lawmakers to discuss Trump’s trade policies, said the administration views tariffs as a cornerstone of its economic agenda and a way to deliver tangible benefits to Americans.
"One of the ways to prove to the American people how great tariffs are is to have them share in a part of one year's income from these tariffs and that's $2,000 a head for people who need the money," Lutnick said.
TRUMP SAYS TARIFF REVENUE TO FUND $2K CHECKS FOR AMERICANS, LOWER NATION’S $38T DEBT
Trump first floated the idea of issuing out a $2,000 dividend from tariff revenue to low and middle-income Americans on Nov. 9. He has since suggested that any remaining funds generated by tariff collection could be used to help pay down the nation’s staggering $38 trillion debt.
Trump has also estimated that Americans could see these payments in mid-2026.
Since Trump announced his "Liberation Day" tariffs in April, tariff revenues have climbed sharply from $23.9 billion in May to $28 billion in June and $29 billion in July.
Total duty revenue reached $215.2 billion in fiscal year 2025, which ended Sept. 30, according to the Treasury Department’s "Customs and Certain Excise Taxes" report.
So far in fiscal year 2026, which began on Oct. 1, the U.S. has collected $40.4 billion, according to the latest numbers published by the Treasury Department.
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Trade Representative Jamieson Greer dismissed on Sunday concerns that issuing a one-time payment of $2,000 to some Americans will fuel inflation.
"This is not some kind of ongoing new welfare program or something that would exacerbate inflation," Greer told "Fox & Friends Weekend."
He added that while he expects American families to welcome the checks, he doesn't see the payments as changing the nation's overall macroeconomic picture.
