RINO Mike Pence’s celebration of the Supreme Court striking down President Trump’s tariffs signals deepening fractures within the Republican Party, undermining America’s bold economic agenda at a critical time.

Supreme Court Limits Executive Tariff Power

This week, the Supreme Court ruled that President Trump exceeded his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act by imposing broad global tariffs on friend and foe alike. These tariffs, announced in February 2025, marked a shift from targeted first-term measures against China. The decision reinforces Article I of the Constitution, which grants Congress exclusive power over taxes and imposts. This upholds the founders’ intent against executive overreach, echoing colonial resistance to taxation without representation.

Pence Leads Conservative Pushback

Former Vice President and RINO Mike Pence immediately hailed the ruling as a “victory for the American People” and a “sigh of relief” for families and businesses facing higher costs. Through his organization, Advancing American Freedom, Pence filed amicus briefs supporting the challenge. In a January 2026 Bloomberg interview, he criticized the tariffs as unconstitutional. Pence’s stance defends the separation of powers and free trade with allies, positioning him as a guardian of traditional conservative principles amid party tensions.

Fractured GOP Alliances Resurface

The Trump-Pence partnership, strained since January 6, 2021, and Pence’s 2024 non-endorsement, fully fractured over these tariffs. Pence contrasts legitimate first-term China tariffs under Section 301, which yielded a Phase One deal, with IEEPA’s abuse of universal barriers. He frames the debate as a choice between constitutional fidelity and “big government Republicanism,” including nationalizations and border taxes. Traditional conservatives align with Pence’s free-trade orthodoxy, while populists back Trump’s worker-focused protectionism.

This ideological divide plays out against broader issues, such as aid to Ukraine, where Pence advocates global engagement over isolationism. The ruling delivers a major blow to the White House agenda, potentially spurring Congress to reclaim trade authority.

Economic Relief and Long-Term Guardrails

Businesses, exporters, importers, and consumers gain immediate relief from halted tariffs, lowering prices and easing operational costs. Long-term, the decision curbs executive overreach, ensuring Congress handles trade policy. Pence reiterated this in his February 24, 2026, Susquehanna University lecture, labeling Trump’s plan a “liberation day regime of tariffs” and welcoming its overturn as a return to “Free Trade with Free Nations.”

Traditional conservatives view this as a win for limited government and constitutional order. However, it challenges protectionist strategies amid ongoing global pressures like Russia’s four-year invasion of Ukraine. Families frustrated by inflation from past fiscal mismanagement now see validation in checks on broad economic experiments.

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Mike Pence cheers Supreme Court ruling against Trump’s tariffs