• Judiciary Committee Democrat calls on Trump to release evidence of foreign influence on the Supreme Court immediately
• Trump called his own appointees Barrett and Gorsuch an embarrassment to their families after they voted against his tariffs
• Republicans split sharply over the ruling, with McConnell and Paul praising the decision while Vance called it lawlessness

WASHINGTON, DC (TDR) — Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) challenged President Donald Trump to produce evidence Friday after the president accused the U.S. Supreme Court of being swayed by foreign influence in its landmark decision striking down his sweeping tariffs.

Trump made the unsubstantiated claim during a White House press conference where he lambasted six justices — including two he appointed — who ruled 6-3 that his use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose global tariffs was illegal.

“As a member of the Judiciary Committee, if the President has evidence of foreign influence or intervention into our Supreme Court, he should release that immediately.”

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Moskowitz, who sits on the House Judiciary Committee, posted his challenge on X within hours of Trump’s remarks.

Trump’s Foreign Influence Accusation Falls Flat

The president’s accusation came as part of an extraordinary broadside against the judiciary following the 6-3 ruling. Trump told reporters the court had been swayed by outside forces but offered nothing concrete when pressed.

“I think that foreign interests are represented by people that I believe have undue influence, they have a lot of influence, over the Supreme Court, whether it’s through fear or respect or friendships, I don’t know.”

When a reporter followed up asking for specifics, Trump responded only with a vague promise: “You’re gonna find out.”

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Fox News anchor Shannon Bream noted that Trump appeared to conflate foreign entities who opposed the tariffs with foreign actors influencing the court itself. The plaintiffs in the consolidated cases were U.S.-based businesses harmed by the import duties.

“These plaintiffs were U.S.-based,” Bream observed, adding that while foreign interests may have been “cheering for those decisions,” that is fundamentally different from influencing justices.

Barrett, Gorsuch Face Trump’s Personal Attacks

Trump reserved his sharpest criticism for Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, the two justices he appointed who joined the majority. He called their votes a “terrible decision” and an “embarrassment to their families,” while praising dissenting Justice Brett Kavanaugh for “his genius.”

“I don’t want to say whether or not I regret. I think their decision was terrible. I think it’s an embarrassment to their families, you want to know the truth, the two of them.”

Chief Justice John Roberts, who authored the majority opinion, wrote that the Constitution assigns tariff authority to Congress, not the executive branch.

“We claim no special competence in matters of economics or foreign affairs. We claim only, as we must, the limited role assigned to us by Article III of the Constitution.”

Gorsuch, in a 46-page concurrence, warned against concentrated executive power in language that appeared to anticipate the backlash.

“Without doctrines like major questions, our system of separated powers and checks-and-balances threatens to give way to the continual and permanent accretion of power in the hands of one man. That is no recipe for a republic.”

Republicans Split Over Ruling and Presidential Response

The GOP reaction revealed deep fault lines. Vice President JD Vance called the ruling “lawlessness from the court, plain and simple,” while Senate Majority Leader John Thune offered measured support for tariffs without criticizing the court.

But several Republicans broke sharply from the White House. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued a pointed statement calling the decision a constitutional affirmation.

“Congress’ role in trade policy, as I have warned repeatedly, is not an inconvenience to avoid.”

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) celebrated the ruling as a defense of the republic, framing it as protection against future executive overreach from either party.

Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), who voted against Trump’s tariffs on the House floor last week, said he felt “vindicated,” calling the ruling “common-sense and straightforward.”

“In the future, Congress should defend its own authorities and not rely on the Supreme Court.”

A Marquette University Law School poll conducted last month found 63% of respondents wanted the court to limit Trump’s tariff powers, including 33% of self-identified Republicans.

Constitutional Stakes Beyond Tariffs

The foreign influence accusation carries implications beyond the immediate tariff dispute. Moskowitz’s demand for evidence effectively frames the claim as a testable assertion — one that the Judiciary Committee, which oversees federal courts, would be responsible for investigating if substantiated.

No publicly available evidence supports Trump’s claim that foreign actors influenced the justices. The president did not name any specific foreign government, individual or mechanism through which such influence allegedly occurred.

The accusation also arrives days before Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday, where justices traditionally attend. Trump said the six majority justices were “barely” invited and that he “couldn’t care less” whether they came.

When a president accuses the Supreme Court of foreign influence but provides no evidence, and a Judiciary Committee member demands proof — does the accusation strengthen executive accountability or undermine institutional credibility?

Sources

This report was compiled using information from NBC News’ coverage of Trump’s press conference, NBC News’ live updates on the ruling, reporting by The Hill on Trump’s attacks on Barrett and Gorsuch, CBS News’ live coverage of the press conference, Newsweek’s reporting on Trump’s foreign interests claim, Mediaite’s coverage of the Moskowitz challenge, Fox News’ coverage of Trump’s reaction, Roll Call’s analysis of Republican divisions, CNN’s reporting on the ruling, TIME’s coverage of the decision, Slate’s legal analysis, CNBC’s report on congressional reactions, The Hill on Rand Paul’s response, Louisville Public Media on McConnell and Paul, and PBS NewsHour’s coverage.

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