WASHINGTON — White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said Thursday that the Trump administration is confident it will win on appeal after a federal court struck down parts of its tariff policy.
“We’re right that America has been mishandled by other governments,” Hassett said during an interview with Fox Business. “This trade negotiation season has been really, really effective for the American people.”
His remarks came after the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that the administration exceeded its authority by imposing certain tariffs designed to tackle barriers to U.S. exports and curb fentanyl imports.
Judges wrote that the fentanyl-related tariffs “fail because they do not deal with the threats set forth in those orders.”
“These activist judges are trying to slow down something right in the middle of really important negotiations,” Hassett said. “The idea that the fentanyl crisis in America is not an emergency is so appalling to me that I am sure that when we appeal, this decision will be overturned.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified fentanyl as a leading driver of overdose deaths in the United States.
Asked if the administration would consider other legal approaches, Hassett said options exist but the White House is not pursuing them immediately.
“There are measures we can take with different numbers that we can start right now. There are different approaches that would take a couple of months to put in place,” he said. “We’re not planning to pursue those right now because we’re very, very confident that this ruling is incorrect.”
The administration’s tariff strategy has been a cornerstone of its trade policy, attracting both legal scrutiny and global attention, according to CNBC.
