Following the Supreme Court’s bombshell ruling Friday that President Donald Trump’s tariffs were unlawful, a growing number of critics are now demanding refunds from the Trump administration for the costs consumers were forced to bear due to the president’s trade policy.
“Issue an immediate refund to all Americans for your illegal tax,” wrote California Gov. Gavin Newsom Friday in a social media post on X. “Now.”
Working-class Americans were made to bear the brunt of cost increases associated with Trump’s tariffs, with one recent study finding that around 96% of all tariff-induced cost increases were paid for by ordinary American consumers.
The study’s findings suggest that the $200 billion in tariff revenue collected by the Trump administration last year was “paid almost exclusively by Americans,” said Julian Hinz, a professor at Bielefeld University and on of the authors of the study.
And now, in the wake of Trump’s tariffs being ruled unlawful, some are demanding their money back.
“Trump’s tariffs were an illegal tax on American businesses, farms, and families,” wrote Rick Wilson, an ex-GOP strategist and author, in a social media post on X Friday. “Pay up, Donnie.”
Justices on the Supreme Court admitted that, now that a significant share of Trump’s tariffs have been ruled unlawful, issuing refunds to importers “could be a mess,” noted Justice Amy Coney Barrett. Nevertheless, refunds were possible, according to tariff lawyer Robert Leo, NPR reported.
“Demand a refund on Trump’s Tariffs,” wrote Stuart Clarke, a filmmaker and political commentator, in a social media post on Friday to their more than 2,300 followers.
“Hey White House, y’all gonna be sending us our tariff refund checks soon?” wrote another, Kes Bretagne, a political commentator to their more than 4,000 followers on X.
And X user “Jude,” who frequently shares content critical of the Trump administration, issued one simple demand.
“We paid those tariffs and we want that money back,” they wrote.
Issue an immediate refund to all Americans for your illegal tax. Now. https://t.co/v5pUv2u6qN — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) February 20, 2026
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