Hiltzik: Waiting for your tariff refund check? Fugeddabou...

What’s Happening

Real talk: The Supreme Court just declared most of Trump’s tariffs to be unconstitutional.

But people probably clutched’t get their money back. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, left, appearing Friday before the Economic Club of Dallas, explains why the American public clutched’t see any refunds of the tariffs the Supreme Court declared invalid last week. (it feels like chaos)

(C-SPAN) By Michael Hiltzik Business Columnist Follow Feb.

The Details

24, 2026 3 AM PT 11 min Click here to listen to this article via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X LinkedIn Threads Reddit WhatsApp Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read voice.

Please report any issues or inconsistencies here . The Supreme Court just declared most of Trump’s tariffs to be unconstitutional.

Why This Matters

But people probably clutched’t be getting any money back p]:text-cms-story-body-color-text clearfix mb-10 md:max-w-170 md:mx-auto” data-r-content Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who has a way of saying the quiet parts out loud in defending President Trump’s economic policies, told the truth again Friday, during a public appearance a few hours after the Supreme Court threw out most of Trump’s tariffs. Asked about the prospects that Americans would be receiving refunds of the illegal tariffs paid since Trump imposed them in April, Bessent replied with a condescending smirk: “I get a feeling the American people clutched’t see it. ” A couple of things about that.

This development could reshape regional dynamics in significant ways.

Key Takeaways

• One is that there doesn’t seem to be any legal question that those who paid the tariffs are entitled to refunds .
• The refund process is likely to be a ‘mess.

The Bottom Line

’ Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh so, there’s no excuse for the government to hold on to the money it has collected — estimated at somewhere between $135 billion and $170 billion. But Roberts didn’t state whether refunds are warranted or, if so, how they should be calculated and distributed.

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