WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said he might attend the Supreme Court arguments over his tariff blitz because of what he called the case’s importance in defending American jobs and discouraging wars abroad.

“Tariffs are a very important tool for our defense, our national security,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Oct. 15. “If we don’t win that case, we will be a weakened, troubled financial mess for many, many years to come.”

If he attends, Trump would be the first sitting president to attend a Supreme Court argument. Former President Richard Nixon appeared as a lawyer before the high court. William Howard Taft served as president before joining the court as chief justice.

The Supreme Court set arguments for Nov. 5 over whether Trump has the authority to impose tariffs under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Lower courts have ruled he overstepped his authority under a law historically used for imposing economic sanctions and other penalties on foreign enemies.

"The statute bestows significant authority on the President to undertake a number of actions in response to a declared national emergency, but none of these actions explicitly include the power to impose tariffs, duties, or the like, or the power to tax," the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit said in a 7-4 decision.

The decision didn’t impact tariffs issued under other legal authority, such as Trump's tariffs on steel an aluminum imports.

Tariffs have become the centerpiece of Trump's economic policy. The tariffs are projected to help the U.S. economy by $4 trillion over the next decade through taxes paid on imported goods and a reduction in interest paid on the national debt.

Trump has also wielded tariffs as a cudgel to get better trade deals with other countries and to discourage conflixt between countries such as India and Pakistan.

“If we are not allowed to use what other people use against us, there is no defense. It would be a disaster for America,” Trump said. “That’s why I think I’m going to go to the Supreme Court to watch it.”

Trump mentioned that he’s been a participant in other cases that reached the high court, including a landmark decision that confirmed immunity to criminal prosecution for presidents acting in their official capacity, but that he’s never attended in person.

“I think it’s one of the most important cases ever brought because we will be defenseless against the world,” Trump said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How Trump might make history at Nov. 5 Supreme Court argument on tariffs

Reporting by Bart Jansen, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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