President Donald Trump took a whack at the House’s top Democrat after Representative Hakeem Jeffries labeled the president a ‘wannabe king.’
Jeffries was responding to the Supreme Court‘s extraordinary decision on Friday to strike down Trump’s tariff policy, with the conservative-leaning court deciding 6-3 against the White House.
‘The Supreme Court decision striking down the harmful Trump Tariffs is a big victory for the American people. And another crushing defeat for the wannabe King,’ Jeffries posted to X.
During Friday afternoon’s wild White House briefing, a reporter asked Trump about Jeffries ‘wannabe king’ dig, saying it verbatim.
‘Well, I call him a low IQ – he doesn’t even know, and I watched him the other day, interview, the guy doesn’t even know what a tariff is,’ the President pushed back.
After the high court ruled that Trump couldn’t use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 to justify his widespread tariffs, the President said he would legitimize their legality in other ways using pre-existing statutes.
He told reporters he had no plans to push a new tariff bill through Congress, which would immediately put him on a more sound legal footing.
‘I don’t have to,’ Trump replied. ‘I have the right to do tariffs and I’ve always had the right to do tariffs. And it’s all been approved by Congress, so there’s no reason to do it,’ he said.
President Donald Trump whacked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries during Friday’s wild White House press conference after Jeffries called Trump a ‘wannabe King’
The president would likely have a tough time getting a large tariff bill through Congress ahead of the November midterm elections, when Republicans will likely have a rough time trying to keep control of the House of Representatives.
Even some Republicans cheered on the Supreme Court decision on Friday, while Wall Street rallied.
At the White House podium, however, Trump was defiant, suggesting he could get a bill through Congress but wouldn’t need to.
He objected when a reporter referred to a vote in the House to reject his tariffs on Canada as bipartisan.
Last week, the House passed a bill voting to rescind the Canadian tariffs after six Republicans joined the Democrats to create a majority.
‘Not bipartisan, excuse me, a few people,’ Trump said.
He continued: ‘Because we lost two Republicans or three Republicans because they’re not good Republicans.’
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called the Supreme Court decision to strike down President Donald Trump’s tariff policy ‘another crushing defeat for the wannabe King’
‘What you don’t say is that we got 215 votes,’ the President pointed out to the reporter.
The journalist then noted how it takes 218 for a bill to pass.
‘We might have lost three votes, and what was the score of the Republican side? Two hundred and 15 to three, right? But you don’t say that,’ Trump continued scolding.
The actual vote for the Canadian tariff bill was 219 to 211.
‘There’s great unity in the Republican Party, and I hope everyone is going to vote Republican because otherwise you won’t have a country left,’ the President then said. ‘Because these people have been destroying, they are destroying our country.’
