National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said Friday that the White House could take alternative steps if the Supreme Court rules against President Donald Trump’s use of emergency powers to impose a sweeping levy.
“Last night, we had a big conference call with all of our principals to discuss what our next steps would be if the Supreme Court rules against these IEEPA tariffs,” Hassett said on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street,” referring to the administration’s invocation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
“There are many other legal authorities that can replicate the agreements we have with other countries, and they can basically do it right away. So our expectation is that we will win, but if we don’t, we know there are other tools we can use to get to the same place,” he said.
Hassett said U.S. Trade Representative Jamison Greer is closely involved in developing the contingency plan.
The Supreme Court’s first decision date of 2026 came Friday, without a ruling on the legality of President Trump’s tariffs.
Hassett is one of the final candidates for the position of Fed chair, as President Trump moves closer to choosing a successor to Jerome Powell, whose term as Fed chair expires in May.
“I’m really happy with my job here,” he said. “Let’s see what the president thinks about where I should be.”
Correction: Jamison Greer is the U.S. Trade Representative. A previous version misspelled his name.
