Fox News contributor and conservative legal commentator Andy McCarthy delivered a blistering rebuke of President Donald Trump following the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
Writing in a column for National Review, McCarthy sharply criticized the president’s reaction to the ruling, accusing Trump of going too far in his public attacks on the nation’s highest court.
“President Trump’s attacks on the Supreme Court are an unmitigated disgrace,” McCarthy wrote. He argued that the justices acted in good faith and, in his view, “successfully” upheld the law in their majority opinion.
The Supreme Court’s decision invalidated tariffs Trump had implemented under IEEPA, prompting the president to lash out at the Court in public statements and on social media. McCarthy contended that such rhetoric could have dangerous consequences.
“By now, the president has to know that the fallout of his ravings will be harassment of the justices by elements of his base that are as deranged as he is,” McCarthy wrote. He went further, asking provocatively whether the plan was “to ignite a riot on the Supreme Court steps this time, while he can still pardon the rabble-rousers as he did the Capitol rioters?”
McCarthy’s criticism did not stop there. He questioned Trump’s commitment to the constitutional oath of office, writing, “Moreover, what value is there in an oath to execute the laws faithfully from a man who either has no regard for the law or delusionally sees the law as what he personally wants — with what he doesn’t want seen not merely as illegal but treasonous?”
The conservative legal commentator also took aim at congressional Republicans, accusing them of being “derelict” in their duty to uphold the rule of law in the face of what he described as troubling presidential conduct.
The unusually harsh language from McCarthy highlights a rare but notable divide within conservative circles, as some legal scholars on the right defend the Court’s ruling while others rally behind Trump’s broader trade agenda.
Trump, for his part, has shown no signs of backing down. In comments following the decision, he described the ruling as “deeply disappointing” and said he was “ashamed” of certain members of the Court for not having “the courage to do what’s right for our country.”
By Monday morning, the president’s frustration remained on full display. He announced that he would refer to the “supreme court” in “lower case letters for a while based on a complete lack of respect.”
The clash underscores a growing tension between the executive branch and the judiciary over the scope of presidential authority. While Trump continues to defend his tariff policy as necessary to protect American interests, McCarthy and others argue that adherence to constitutional limits must come first — even when the outcome is politically unpopular.
As the debate unfolds, the episode serves as a reminder that disagreements over the balance of power can spark fierce reactions, even among longtime allies within the conservative movement.
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