California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday called on the Trump administration to send immediate refund checks — “with interest” — after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs were imposed without proper legal authority.
In a statement from Governor Gavin Newsom’s office, Newsom argued the tariffs functioned as an unlawful tax that raised prices for families and businesses. “Every dollar unlawfully taken must be refunded immediately — with interest,” he said.
The high court’s 6-3 decision, issued Friday in U.S. Supreme Court cases involving challenges to the tariffs, found Trump lacked authority to impose broad tariffs under emergency powers. The ruling sided with challengers who said federal law does not give a president unchecked power to set sweeping tariffs without Congress.
Newsom’s office said the tariffs collected more than $130 billion from importers, costs that were then passed along to consumers through higher prices on everyday goods. The administration’s own tariff collections have been a major political flashpoint, with Democrats arguing households paid the price at the checkout counter.
A separate analysis by the Budget Lab at Yale estimated the policies translated into a loss of about $1,751 for the average household over the past year, reflecting higher prices across the economy.
California has been at the center of the legal fight. Newsom’s office said the state filed suit in April 2025, arguing the tariffs were imposed without congressional approval and represented an unlawful use of emergency powers. Friday’s Supreme Court ruling validated that core argument, the governor said.
The decision does not, by itself, lay out a refund mechanism. But Newsom is pressing for immediate repayment, framing it as money wrongfully taken from Americans and owed back now — not after years of litigation.
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