American California Governor Newsom on Trump's lost tariff policy: Trump cannot be an imperial president, he must abide by the law!
According to California Governor Newsom's statement, he made a strong statement on Trump's tariff policy, with the core view being "Trump cannot be an imperial president, he must abide by the law." The background of this statement is that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on February 20, 2026, that the Trump administration's use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose large-scale tariffs exceeded the president's statutory authority and was unconstitutional.
Newsom called these tariffs "an illegal way to make money," which not only raised prices but also harmed working-class families.
He emphasized the rule of law, stating that the president cannot be above the law.
Newsom strongly demanded the federal government to immediately refund all illegally collected taxes to American businesses and families, and to "return them with interest." His statement used strong wording: "It's time to pay the price, Donald... hurry up and return the money!"
Newsom's continued fierce criticism of Trump is mostly due to the need for partisan politics to accumulate political capital for 2028. In fact, even if Newsom were in power, he would not dare to cancel the 25% tariffs on China set by Trump. Although the two major parties in the United States are in fierce conflict, they are highly consistent in containing China. This means that no matter which party or political figure comes to power, the policy toward China will not undergo fundamental changes. However, Newsom represents the interests of California, and he is not an anti-China politician. Moreover, California is the sixth largest economy in the world, and its IT industry has many intertwined interests with China. As the governor of California, Newsom's political influence cannot be ignored. If he wins in 2028, there may be some relaxation in the policy toward China.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1857831324454924/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.