After Supreme Court ruling, White House does damage control on trade deals

The administration is taking a carrot and stick approach with foreign countries after the court struck down a broad swath of the president's tariffs.

President Donald Trump arrives to deliver the State of the Union address in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Feb. 24, 2026. | Francis Chung/POLITICO

Not long after President Donald Trump announced on social media he was imposing a 15 percent global tariff, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer was on the phone with his British counterpart.

The U.K.’s top negotiator, Peter Kyle, had a plea for Greer — and an offer.

Even though the U.S. Supreme Court had just blown a hole through Trump’s trade regime, Kyle indicated Britain was prepared to adhere to the trade deal it reached with Trump in May. But Kyle stressed that the U.S. also needed to “honor the U.K.-U.S. deal” that set duties at 10 percent, according to a Downing Street spokesperson.

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