Democrats spent last Friday celebrating the Supreme Court's 6-3 tariff ruling like they'd won the Super Bowl.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sat down with CNN's Dana Bash on Sunday and delivered the kind of moment Democrats weren't prepared for.
What he said next stopped Bash cold – and revealed a contradiction inside the ruling that turns the entire liberal victory lap upside down.
Supreme Court Said No to IEEPA Tariffs — But Left Trump His Most Powerful Trade Weapon
Bessent looked straight at Bash and explained what the court actually said.
The Supreme Court ruled that Trump cannot collect a single dollar in tariff revenue under IEEPA – the emergency powers law six justices said doesn't authorize tariffs.
But here's what the court also confirmed: the president retains full authority to impose a complete embargo on any country he chooses.
Block all trade. Zero imports. Complete economic cutoff.
"It's very interesting that the Supreme Court said that the president can't raise one dollar of revenue with tariffs, but he can put on a full embargo," Bessent told Bash. "They reaffirmed his ability to block all trade. He just cannot accept one dollar for the trade."
Bash pivoted to Justice Gorsuch's concurring opinion – the passage where the Trump-nominated justice wrote that Congress alone should hold taxing authority over the American people.
Bessent didn't flinch.
He called the ruling "very narrow."
Section 122 Tariffs Give Trump 150 Days to Lock In a Permanent Trade Deficit Fix
While Democrats were celebrating, the White House had already moved.
Within hours of Friday's ruling, Trump signed a proclamation invoking Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 – a law on the books since Gerald Ford's era, never once used by any president until now.
Ten percent global tariff. Effective February 24. On every nation on earth.
He raised it to 15 percent by Saturday – the maximum allowed under Section 122.
Bessent told Bash the math is straightforward: Section 122 buys 150 days while the Commerce Department and the U.S. Trade Representative conduct investigations under Sections 232 and 301 – the tariff authorities that have already survived more than 4,000 legal challenges since Trump's first term.
"The 122 is likely a five-month bridge," Bessent said, adding that once those studies conclude, it is "highly likely that those tariffs will rise up and that the 122s could disappear after five months."
The tariffs aren't going anywhere – and could end up higher when the dust settles.
Democrats Already Know It
Here's what the left doesn't want to admit.
While Gorsuch wrote 46 pages about Congress and the power of the purse, the practical result of the ruling is this: Trump has 150 days of 15 percent global tariffs fully in place starting Monday, and the legal framework for permanent replacements is already being built underneath them.
The Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs have survived every court challenge thrown at them.
Section 301 tariffs on China have done the same.
Both are being expanded right now through new Commerce and USTR investigations.
Meanwhile, Bessent delivered the headline Democrats buried: tariff revenue at the U.S. Treasury for 2026 is "unchanged."
Not reduced. Not threatened. Unchanged.
The goods trade deficit with major partners has already dropped 17 percent under Trump's tariff pressure. The bilateral deficit with China has fallen substantially. And trading partners, Bessent confirmed, are not walking away from the deals already struck.
If any country thinks Friday's ruling changes the pressure they're under, Bessent has a reminder ready.
The president can still embargo every product you make.
He just can't charge you for the privilege.
Sources:
- Scott Bessent, "State of the Union," CNN, February 22, 2026.
- "Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Imposes a Temporary Import Duty," The White House, February 20, 2026.
- Scott Bessent, "Sunday Morning Futures," Fox News via Daily Caller News Foundation, February 22, 2026.
- "Supreme Court Strikes Down IEEPA Tariffs – What Now?" WilmerHale, February 20, 2026.
- "Bessent Signals No Retreat After SCOTUS Tariff Ruling," PJ Media, February 22, 2026.
- "Bessent Predicts 'No Decrease' in Tariff Revenue for 2026," Breitbart, February 20, 2026.