White House should take court setback as a chance for a reset on tariffs

Consider it a blessing in disguise: The court ruling derailing President Donald Trump’s biggest tariff moves gives the White House a chance to rethink its trade approach while the rest of the Trump agenda gets the US economy booming again.That the order is on hold pending appeal only deepens the appeal of a reset.Look: Polling shows broad public support for Trump’s trade goals, but also real fear and worry over his early tactics — with one poll showing tariffs to be a 26-point negative with voters.All that anxiety is a real drag on economic optimism and Trump’s broader approval ratings — making it that much harder to get his “Big Beautiful Bill,” which is absolutely crucial to the economy, over the finish line.This all adds up to ample reason for the president to use the scalpel, not the sledgehammer on trade, at least until his other policies (deregulation, energy dominance, what Trump claims is $17 trillion in “inward investment” and so on) get growth booming enough to handle the tariff shocks.The Court of International Trade decision only denies the prez one tariff power — albeit the one he’s used the most, including for the big “Liberation Day” levies ..

.which he felt comfortable suspending, once they’d gotten our trading partners’ attention.He still has multiple ways to hike tariffs, even if many will take longer.Then again, the rapid, arbitrary-seeming back-and-forth surprises are a big reason why the tariffs have built so much anxiety, so a slower pace is a plus.This moment also gives Congress a chance to stop hiding on trade: It can back up the president’s broad approach while tamping down on the air of chaos.More important: All the tariff furor should be a sideshow; they’re only one part of Trump’s overall agenda, most of which is much more popular.And, above all else: As a matter of hard practical politics, the overriding White House goal has to be a boom that brings strong job and wage growth well before the midterm ...