The Tariff Crisis

President Trump slapped devastating tariffs on nearly every country, then snuck away to the golf course while the rest of us braced for higher prices on everything from gasoline to eggs. Welcome to Trump’s America, where the working class pays while the ruling class plays.

Can we afford another round of debilitating price hikes? It might feel like a moot question because what choice do we have? If you know anything about Trump, you know that when challenged, he doesn’t back down; he doubles down. So yes, it may seem like we’re all royally screwed.

But instead of asking why this is happening, we should be asking how we allowed it to happen.

Let’s talk about that.

The U.S. Constitution assigns Congress—not the President—the power to regulate commerce with foreign nations. It’s spelled out in Article I, Section 8: “The Congress shall have Power to regulate Commerce with foreign Nations…” To repeat: Congress has the power to impose tariffs, not the president.

So how does a president suddenly have the ability to slap tariffs here and there on any country of his choosing, all from the 10th hole of his golf course?

The answer may shock you: Congress handed him that power.

Over the years, Congress has enacted legislation that granted presidents what is known as statutory authority to take certain actions, including imposing tariffs. “Statutory” means it is driven by laws, not by Constitutional authority. In the case of Trump’s latest actions, he invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which permits the President to act unilaterally if there is a declared national emergency. So all he had to do was wave the “emergency” flag, and poof! Suddenly, there are tariffs everywhere. And if he has a bad golf game? Who knows? Maybe he will raise the rates on Canada just to feel better.

But here’s the catch: because this is statutory, not constitutional authority, Congress can take it back. That’s right! Congress gave the President the power; therefore, Congress can take it away. To put it in biblical terms: “Congress giveth, and Congress can taketh away.”

But will they? That’s another story.

The truth is, Congress giving away its Constitutional power isn’t a new phenomenon. Presidents now wage military conflicts without declarations of war. They declare national emergencies to bypass normal checks. They reshape domestic policies through executive orders and regulatory fiat. Tariff power is just the latest in a long series of capitulations.

And now we’re paying the price.

President Trump has gleefully exploited these statutory authorities, granted by decades of legislative cowardice, to impose economically destructive tariffs. And while a few voices in Congress may protest, the truth is: they gave him the tools to do it. Without a fight. Without a second thought.

So what now? Do we give up?

Hell no!

Congress can — and must — reclaim its rightful authority. They can pass legislation to repeal or revise the laws that allowed this mess to happen. Of course, Trump would veto such a bill faster than he can shank a tee shot, which means Congress would need a two-thirds majority to override him. Democrats would almost certainly support the override. The real question is whether any Republicans will grow a spine to do what’s right.

And that’s where you come in.

If Americans flood the phone lines of their senators and representatives, write letters to the editors of their local papers, publish op-eds, and take it to the streets, we can turn up the pressure. Congress may be spineless, but even jellyfish respond to an electric current.

Let’s send a clear message to Washington: We’re not gonna take it anymore.

To those who call themselves Constitutionalists, now’s your chance to prove it. If you truly believe in the balance of powers and the intent of the founders, then you should be first in line to demand that Congress reclaim the authority it so recklessly gave away.

Yes, President Trump instigated this tariff crisis, but Congress enabled it. They could end this in a matter of days if they had the will.

But they won’t, unless we make them.

Let’s remind our leaders that democracy doesn’t die unless the people stop showing up. Let’s organize, mobilize, and fight like hell to restore the Constitutional order.

History is watching. This is our time. This is our fight.