New York officials joined a lawsuit against President Trump’s tariffs on Wednesday – with Gov. Kathy Hochul calling the fees a tax hike that is stirring “economic chaos” across the US.
Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James said the Empire State is joining a legal action with 11 other states in a bid to fight back against the Trump administration slapping tariffs on imports globally.
“President Trump’s reckless tariffs have skyrocketed costs for consumers and unleashed economic chaos across the country. New York is standing up to fight back against the largest federal tax hike in American history,” Hochul said.
The states want a court to stop the tariffs, including preventing the president from possibly going forward with tariffs that were paused earlier this month, officials said.
“The president does not have the power to raise taxes on a whim, but that’s exactly what President Trump has been doing with these tariffs,” James said in a statement.
“Donald Trump promised that he would lower prices and ease the cost of living, but these illegal tariffs will have the exact opposite effect on American families.”
James, a Democrat and nemesis of Trump, is facing a criminal referral of alleged mortgage fraud – accusations she’s called baseless.
A new 10% baseline tariff on most imports remain in place while massive “reciprocal” tariffs are on hold for now to allow for 90 days of negotiations.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
