Donald Trump to skip Supreme Court’s oral arguments on global tariffs to avoid ‘distraction’

US President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he will not attend the Supreme Court’s upcoming oral arguments on the legality of his global tariffs, saying he doesn’t want to draw attention away from the case.

The justices are set to hear arguments Wednesday on whether Trump exceeded his authority when he imposed sweeping tariffs under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

The move, a cornerstone of his trade and economic agenda, has been challenged by several businesses and a dozen US states.

Speaking aboard Air Force One after a weekend in Florida, Trump said he had wanted to be present but decided against it to avoid being a distraction.

“I wanted to go so badly,” he said. “I just don’t want to do anything to deflect the importance of that decision. I don’t want to call a lot of attention to me. It’s not about me, it’s about our country.”

Trump defended his use of tariffs as essential to national security and fair trade, arguing that other countries had long taken advantage of the United States. “If we don’t have tariffs, we don’t have national security,” he said, claiming the policy boosted revenues and helped drive US markets to record highs.

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With inputs from Reuters

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