Trump sued by 12 states claiming his tariffs are illegal tax on Americans
A coalition of 12 Democratic state attorneys general sued President Donald Trump on Wednesday, alleging that the sweeping tariffs he unveiled this month are an unconstitutional tax that only Congress can authorize.
Their complaint, reported by Politico, is filed in the U.S. Court of International Trade. It says the duties “upended the constitutional order and brought chaos to the American economy” by forcing businesses and consumers to pay more for everyday goods.
New York Democratic Attorney General Letitia James is joined by her counterparts in Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, and Vermont.
Together, they argue that the president lacks statutory power under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose a 10 percent tariff on all imports and levy rates exceeding 145 % on certain Chinese products.
“The tariffs are massive taxes on Americans that were never approved by Congress,” the filing states.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who is challenging the administration on a separate transportation matter, backed the lawsuit. “President Trump’s reckless tariffs have skyrocketed costs for consumers and unleashed economic chaos across the country,” she said, calling the plan “the largest federal tax hike in American history” and warning it could “push our country into a recession.”
Arizona AG warns tariff fallout is “happening in real-time”
The legal action comes three weeks after Trump declared April 2 “Liberation Day” and announced the 10% tariff as a negotiating tool to, in his words, “strengthen U.S. manufacturing” and confront what he called decades of unfair trade practices.
Facing backlash, the administration later paused many of the duties for 90 days, a break that runs through early July. Yet some levies on Chinese solar panels, steel, and electronics remain in force.
