Wisconsin is among more than 20 states suing the Trump administration over its latest round of global tariffs, a move state officials say is aimed at easing rising costs for families. Attorney General Josh Kaul announced the lawsuit Thursday, saying the new tariffs will worsen the financial pressure many households are already feeling. “There are a number of families that are concerned about the cost of living. Donald Trump has exacerbated this problem with the erratic tariffs that he has imposed now for over a year,” Kaul said. “This suit is seeking to eliminate the most recent round of tariffs… and bring some real relief to consumers and families in Wisconsin.”
Kaul added that he hopes this new challenge moves through the courts more quickly than the previous tariff case the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on last month. The lawsuit comes on the heels of a recent Supreme Court decision striking down an earlier set of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. Kaul said the president responded to the ruling by issuing new tariffs rather than backing away from the trade strategy entirely.
“There was a prior suit filed by a number of states that went to the Supreme Court, and the Supreme Court recently struck down the tariffs President Trump had previously imposed,” Kaul said. “Rather than accepting that and moving on… the President promptly imposed new tariffs. What we are arguing in this suit is that the president doesn’t have the authority he claims to have.”
More than 20 states have signed on to the lawsuit, including several of Wisconsin’s Midwestern neighbors—Illinois, Minnesota, and Michigan.