Four of the nine Supreme Court justices present for the State of the Union, including Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Elena Kagan and Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who had ruled against Trump's use of IEEPA to enact his tariffs. ( Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
"The good news is that almost all countries and corporations want to keep the deal that they already made" with the U.S., Trump said Tuesday night, "knowing that the legal power that I as president have to make a new deal could be far worse for them."
"Therefore, they will continue to work along the same successful path that we had negotiated before the Supreme Court's unfortunate involvement," he added.
Four of the nine Supreme Court justices present for the State of the Union, including Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Elena Kagan and Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who had ruled against Trump's use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, to unilaterally enact his tariffs.
Trump's comments marked a shift from his more abrasive tone in the immediate aftermath of the tariff decision, when he said the high court was "incompetent" and that the majority should be "absolutely ashamed" of themselves "for not having the courage to do what’s right for our country."
TRUMP TAKES DIRECT SOTU SWIPE AT DEMOCRATS OVER TAXES: 'TO HURT THE PEOPLE'
President Donald J. Trump delivers the first State of the Union address of his second term to a joint session of Congress. (Kenny Holston /Pool via Reuters)
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt previously pointed Fox News Digital and other outlets to recent data from the Council on Criminal Justice that she said shows that Trump is "delivering overwhelmingly on his promise" to restore law and order in the U.S.
"A study from the Council on Criminal Justice shows that the murder rate across America's largest cities plummeted in 2025 to its lowest level since at least 1900," Leavitt told reporters. "Let me repeat to put this in perspective, this marks the largest single-year drop in murders in recorded history."
Nationwide homicide data released later in 2026 could show killings in 2025 falling to roughly 4.0 per 100,000 residents – the lowest rate ever recorded in law enforcement or public health data dating back to 1900 and the largest single-year percentage drop on record.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Reactions to the speech — and Trump's policies — vary, but the president did win some praise from across the aisle.
"As a voter, I may not like him. I may find his long form exhausting. But when he speaks, he never wavers from American exceptionalism," Michael Ceraso, a Democratic strategist with a background in speechwriting, told Fox News Digital.
"I see someone protecting our cities against those he deems a threat to democracy, revving up the economy, managing global partners, and defeating terrorism.
Fox News Digital's Charlie Creitz, Emma Colton and Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.
Breanne Deppisch is a national politics reporter for Fox News Digital covering the Trump administration, with a focus on the Justice Department, FBI and other national news. She previously covered national politics at the Washington Examiner and The Washington Post, with additional bylines in Politico Magazine, the Colorado Gazette and others. You can send tips to Breanne at Breanne.Deppisch@fox.com, or follow her on X at @breanne_dep.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/legal-experts-react-trumps-scotus-clash-tariff-pivot-fiery-sotu