Newsom Delivers Harsh Critique of Trump’s SCOTUS Setback: ‘He’s a Mere Echo’

California Governor Gavin Newsom did not hold back in his assessment of President Donald Trump’s recent Supreme Court defeat, which saw the court reject his expansive tariffs. “He’s flailing,” Newsom remarked, pointing to Trump’s reaction to the ruling.

On Friday, the Supreme Court determined that Trump lacked the emergency authority to impose his sweeping tariffs. In response, Trump signed an executive order that evening, asserting his ability to bypass Congress and implement a 10% tax on global imports. The following day, he escalated the situation by announcing on Truth Social an increase of the global tariff to 15%.

“Based on a thorough, detailed, and complete review of the ridiculous, poorly written, and extraordinarily anti-American decision on Tariffs issued yesterday... I will be, effective immediately, raising the 10% Worldwide Tariff on Countries... to the fully allowed, and legally tested, 15% level,” Trump declared.

In an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash aired Sunday, Newsom dismissed Trump’s actions as “madness.” He noted the inconsistency in Trump’s tariff strategy, saying, “It was 10% two days ago, maybe 20% tomorrow.”

Newsom further characterized Trump as “a punch-drunk boxer,” suggesting that the former president is swinging wildly at shadows. “He’s a shadow of himself. He’s lost a step or two,” he added.

According to Newsom, Trump’s tariffs were fundamentally illegal and called for a refund of the collected money. “He needs to refund that money with interest,” Newsom insisted. “He could do that in a nanosecond. They could do that electronically.”

In a colorful analogy, Newsom compared Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to characters from the 1994 comedy “Dumb & Dumber,” claiming they have “wrecked this economy.”

“[Trump’s] entire economic paradigm is mass deportations, tax cuts for billionaires and tariffs. And he’s been exposed. He’s a fraud. And by the way, the tariff? This is a self-dealing operation. This is about his personal portfolio,” Newsom concluded.

For more insights from Newsom’s interview on “State of the Union,” check out the clip below.