Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent believes it was “highly inappropriate” for the courts to block President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs when the Republican-led Senate didn’t.

The U.S. Court of International Trade blocked Trump’s tariffs on Wednesday, saying he didn’t have the authority to impose them using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. They have been reinstated by an appeals court for now.

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“It seems highly inappropriate for the judiciary to wade in here when the Senate had the opportunity to override the president and didn’t,” Bessent told Fox News, adding that the president should set the country’s trade agenda. “Anything the courts do to get in the way harms the American people in terms of trade and tariff revenue.”

Bessent: It seems highly inappropriate for the judiciary to wade in here when the senate had the opportunity to override the president and didn’t.. anything the courts do to get in the way harms the American people in terms of trade and tariff revenue pic.twitter.com/oH16uEadQ1

— Acyn (@Acyn) May 29, 2025

A Democratic Senate resolution to vote down the tariffs last month failed 49-49, with Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) not present for the vote. Both would’ve likely voted in the affirmative.

A different resolution aimed at halting tariffs toward Canada passed 51-48 with Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Rand Paul (R-KY), and McConnell voting in favor.

Collins said the close vote “demonstrates that there is unease with the president’s plan.”

“It’s partially the president’s plan is still evolving, but many of us are hearing from employers back home about the impact of the tariffs in a negative way,” she said.

Senate Democrats have been highly critical of Trump’s tariffs, which they would’ve voted against had they acquired the majority in 2024. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) said the tariffs “are pushing our economy off a cliff.”

“The only thing Donald Trump’s tariffs have succeeded in is raising the odds of recession and sending markets into a tailspin,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said. “Today, they have to choose — stick with Trump or stand with your states.”

Trump had enacted universal tariffs on nearly every U.S. trading partner, with especially high tariffs on China that have since been paused. They were said to likely raise consumer prices across the board.

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The White House expects to prevail in court over the tariffs.

“We will hear, within the next day or two, at a minimum, from the United States Trade Representative on how we will respond to all of this. We will respond forcefully, and we think we have a very good case with respect to this,” top trade adviser Peter Navarro said.