President Donald Trump on Tuesday acknowledged legal uncertainty surrounding his administration’s tariff regime, warning that the United States could be forced to return billions of dollars collected over the past year if the Supreme Court rules against the policy.
Speaking at a White House press briefing marking one year since the start of his second term, Trump said the outcome of the case remained unclear. “I don’t know what the Supreme Court will do about tariffs,” he said. “If we lose this case, we will have to do our best to return the billions of dollars we have collected in tariffs.”
One Year in Office, Defence of Economic Record
The remarks came as Trump marked a year in the Oval Office since beginning his second term on January 20, 2025. He used the occasion to defend his economic record, attack the Biden administration and highlight what he described as a series of achievements over the past 12 months.
Trump argued that immigration challenges facing the country were the result of policies pursued by his predecessor. “If we didn’t have open border policies of the Biden era, these problems wouldn’t exist,” he said, before adding that despite ongoing challenges, “we’re the hottest country anywhere in the world.”
Davos Trip and ‘Book of Accomplishments’
The briefing was held ahead of Trump’s visit to Switzerland, where he is scheduled to attend the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos in 2026. The president said he expected a warm reception during the high-profile international trip. “I’m sure I am happily awaited for in Switzerland,” he said.
During the appearance, Trump also displayed what he described as a “book of accomplishments,” claiming it documented the administration’s record in detail. He said international companies were leaving other countries to invest in the United States. “A year on, we have international companies leaving other countries to come and build in the United States,” he said.
Trump went on to reiterate the scale of his administration’s achievements, asserting that his government had outperformed its predecessors. “We have done more than any other government, in terms of ending wars, apprehending murderers,” he said, pointing to the past year as evidence of what he described as unprecedented progress.
