Trump Extensively Used Emergency Powers in Second Term

While Trump claims that under his leadership, America is recovering from crises, he has relied on rules and laws meant exclusively for extraordinary circumstances like war or national emergencies to impose steep import tariffs, deploy troops to the border, and bypass environmental regulations.

An analysis by the Associated Press revealed that out of Trump’s 150 executive orders, 30 cited some form of emergency authority. This figure is significantly higher compared to his recent predecessors.

As a result, the way the president exercises his powers has fundamentally changed. Instead of addressing unforeseen crises, Trump has used emergency powers to undermine congressional authority and advance his own agenda.

Somin represents five American businesses that filed lawsuits against the administration, claiming they suffered losses due to Trump’s so-called “Liberation Day” tariffs.

Trump most frequently invoked the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose tariffs. This law was designed to protect national security, foreign policy, or the economy against foreign threats.