Trump says tariffs critical to national security as Supreme Court prepares landmark decision

President Donald Trump defended his use of tariffs as critical to national security ahead of a landmark Supreme Court case, while warning the U.S. will not tolerate the mass killing of Christians in Nigeria and refusing to rule out potential military action in Venezuela.

Trump spoke with reporters on Air Force One as he flew from West Palm Beach, Florida, to Washington, D.C.

He was asked about the upcoming Supreme Court case on tariffs, which he called "one of the most important decisions in the history of our country."

Trump argued that the outcome will determine whether presidents can use tariffs freely as a tool for both economic leverage and national security.

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"Other countries use tariffs against us, and we weren't able to openly and freely use tariffs against them," Trump said. "I'll give you an example – China. That was going to be a disaster for the world, and I was able to settle it very quickly, very easily because I was able to use tariffs. It's total national security, and economic health is also part of national security, by the way."

Trump said he will not attend oral arguments to avoid drawing attention to himself, explaining, "It’s not about me. It’s about our country." Instead, he plans to deliver a speech in Miami.

"I wanted to go so badly," he said. "I just didn’t want to do anything to deflect from the importance of that decision. If we don't have tariffs, we don't have national security, and the rest of the world would laugh at us because they've used tariffs against us for years and took advantage of us."

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He credited tariffs for driving the stock market to 48 record highs during his term and said they remain essential for "fair and sustainable" trade deals.

"We've become wealthy," he said. "Our stock market hit a record high on Friday – 48 record highs during my term – and a large part of that is because of tariffs and our good trade deals. Without that, you couldn’t make a good trade deal. We were being abused by a lot of other countries, including China, for years. Not anymore. Tariffs have brought us tremendous national security."

Trump warned in a post on Truth Social that the upcoming Supreme Court case on tariffs could reshape America’s economic and national security future, arguing that presidents must have the power to impose tariffs freely to protect U.S. interests and negotiate strong trade deals.

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He said tariffs have fueled record market growth and "great wealth" during his presidency and remain vital to keeping the country competitive with global powers.

"It will be, in my opinion, one of the most important and consequential decisions ever made by the United States Supreme Court," Trump said. "If we win, we will be the richest, most secure country anywhere in the world, by far. If we lose, our country could be reduced to almost third world status."

On foreign policy, Trump dismissed questions about using frozen Russian assets as leverage, saying Europe and Russia "are having discussions" and that he was "not involved."

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He ruled out sending long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, saying "not really" when asked if he was considering it.

"There's no final straw," he added. "Sometimes you have to let it fight it out – that fighting and then fighting it out. It's been a tough war for a lot of soldiers."

Trump also said the U.S. will not tolerate the mass killing of Christians in Nigeria.

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"They're killing record numbers of Christians in Nigeria," Trump said. "They're killing the Christians and killing them in very large numbers. We're not going to allow that to happen."

A day earlier, he warned the U.S. will halt aid if Abuja does not stop the killings and said he may order rapid action to wipe out Islamist terrorists after designating Nigeria a country of particular concern.

The persecution of Christians in Nigeria has reached crisis levels as Islamist militants burn down villages, massacre worshipers and displace thousands across the north and central regions.

When asked about potential U.S. strikes in Venezuela, Trump declined to confirm or deny, saying, "How can I answer a question like that?"

"Who would say that?" Trump asked a reporter. "Supposing there were – would I say that to you? Honestly. Yes, we have plans. We have very secret plans. Look, we'll see what happens with Venezuela. Venezuela sent us thousands and thousands, hundreds of thousands of people from prisons, from mental institutions, drug addicts – and so did other countries."

He blamed President Biden’s immigration policies for allowing criminals to cross into the U.S., calling him "the worst president in the history of our country."

Trump added, "It’s the other countries too, because we were run by very stupid people, very, very stupid people. Biden, who is the worst president in the history of our country by far… Many countries, they sent their prisoners – they sent drug dealers, they sent drug addicts. They sent anybody they didn’t want. They sent them through our country. And Venezuela was one of the worst abusers."

Anthony Hopkins calls mental health labels 'nonsense,' dismisses autism diagnosis from his wife

While Anthony Hopkins reflected on his sobriety journey, he also realized his own mental health issues may have stemmed from his father, who was also a big drinker.  

Hopkins, 87, confessed to The Sunday Times that as his "father's son," it crossed his mind that "there was something not right" with his own mind. 

It was famed British actor Laurence Olivier who encouraged Hopkins to pursue mental health therapy and see a psychiatrist. Hopkins admitted he "briefly" saw a therapist, but wasn't too fond of the process.

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"He kept saying, ‘Let’s go back,’ Hopkins recalled. "And I’d just go, ‘I don’t want to do this.’ So boring."

Once Hopkins discovered the therapist had been married three times, he finalized his decision and quit therapy. "Oh," Hopkins allegedly told the therapist, "all is well with you."

His own third wife, Stella Arroyave, believes Hopkins is autistic.

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"I’m obsessed with numbers. I’m obsessed with detail," Hopkins said. "I like everything in order. And memorizing. Stella looked it up and she said, ‘You must be Asperger’s.’ I didn’t know what the hell she was talking about. I don’t even believe it."

When Hopkins was educated about the benefit of a neurodivergence diagnosis even later in life, the Oscar-winning actor admitted he's still hesitant to believe in labels.

"Well, I guess I’m cynical because it’s all nonsense. It’s all rubbish," Hopkins said. "ADHD, OCD, Asperger’s, blah, blah, blah. Oh God, it’s called living. It’s just being a human being, full of tangled webs and mysteries and stuff that’s in us. Full of warts and grime and craziness, it’s the human condition."

He added, "All these labels. I mean, who cares? But now it’s fashion."

"Oh, give me a break," Hopkins said before offering a different perspective into his psyche. 

"I think maybe it’s some kind of embarrassment that I’m an actor," Hopkins admitted. "‘What d’you do?’ ‘I act.’ No, I’ve not done a stroke of work in my life. When I look at my life, the reality is I haven’t had a good, decent job in my entire life." 

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He continued, "I’ve done nothing except show up, speak the lines and go home. People out there are digging the streets and working in shops and stores. That is real work. I haven’t dug a street out. I’ve done nothing. I look at [myself] and think, ‘I haven’t done a day’s work in my life.’ That’s the reality."

Ahead of his 50-year sobriety anniversary, the "Silence of the Lambs" star recalled the moment he realized he was an alcoholic as he drove drunk in California with "no clue where I was going."

"It was a moment when I realized that I could have killed somebody – or myself, which I didn't care about, but I could have killed a family in a car," Hopkins told "The Interview." 

"I realized I was an alcoholic. I came to my senses and I said to an ex-agent of mine at this party in Beverly Hills, I said, ‘I need help.’"

He added, "I made the fatal phone call to an intergroup in LA, a 12-step program. They said, ‘We’ll send somebody over to meet you,' and I said, ‘No, I’ll come to you.'"

When Hopkins arrived at the meeting, he heard a "deep, powerful thought" that told him, "It's all over. Now you can start living, and it has all been for a purpose, so don't forget one moment of it."

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Almost instantly, Hopkins said, his craving for drinking just left. 

"I don't know or have any theories except divinity, or that power that we all possess inside us that creates us from birth – life force – whatever it is. It's a consciousness, I believe. That's all I know. My whole life has been like that," he said.

Hopkins admitted he drank "to nullify that discomfort, or whatever it was in me, because it made me feel big. You know booze is terrific because it instantly feels in a different space and I enjoyed that."

Before getting sober, he recalled thinking to himself, "This is going to kill me… I was drinking like it was going out of fashion."

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