Donald Trump: ‘We’re getting rich because of tariffs,’ vows $5,000 payout again if Republicans win midterms

US President Donald Trump reiterated his criticism of a Supreme Court ruling striking down a specific set of his tariffs on Saturday, claiming the decision stripped the federal government of hundreds of billions in revenue and damaged the US economy.

Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews after returning from a campaign rally in Tennessee, Trump referenced the ruling when asked about the federal deficit, which a reporter pointed out had reached $2 trillion in the last fiscal year.

During the exchange, the president said, “The Supreme Court hurt very badly because they wanted us to give back a certain form. You know, I have numerous forms of tariffs, but they wanted us to give back a certain form of tariff. And that was hundreds of billions of dollars.” He added, “So the Supreme Court decision was very bad for our country. Very, very bad for our country.”


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Trump did not specify the exact volume of tariff revenue impacted by the decision or elaborate on how it directly altered the federal deficit.

At a Republican campaign event in Clarksville, Tennessee, earlier that day, he highlighted his trade policies, framing import duties as a central pillar of his economic agenda.

Trump argued that tariffs were driving significant revenue into the Treasury while encouraging both American and foreign companies to set up manufacturing operations in the United States. Addressing the crowd, he said, “We're getting rich because of tariffs,” adding that the administration was collecting trillions of dollars.

He also claimed that his administration had secured $21 billion in investment commitments, a figure unconfirmed by the provided details.

Linking his tariff platform to the upcoming November 3 midterm elections, Trump pledged to issue a $5,000 payout to every adult American citizen should Republicans win majorities in both the House and the Senate.

He declared, “I am going to give all adult citizens in the United States of America $5,000 everywhere”, noting that the payments would be financed through tariff revenues and projecting the total cost at around $1 trillion.

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Turning to local economic news, Trump cited investment pledges by Korea Zinc and General Motors in Tennessee as proof that his trade strategy is driving industrial expansion.

He highlighted Korea Zinc's commitment of over $6 billion toward sites in Montgomery and Smith counties, along with General Motors' planned $275 million investment in its Spring Hill plant.

The Supreme Court ruling has become a central element of Trump's defense of his economic performance, particularly as Republicans highlight trade strategy, industrial investment, and household costs in the run-up to the midterms.