The next is the transcript of the interview with U.S. Commerce Consultant Jamieson Greer that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Feb. 22, 2026.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We flip now to the U.S. Commerce Consultant, Jamieson Greer, Ambassador. Welcome again to Face The Nation.
JAMIESON GREER, UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE: Thanks. It is nice to be on.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So the president had imposed these tariffs utilizing a number of completely different statutes, however the Supreme Court docket declared that invoking tariffs below the Worldwide Emergency Financial Powers Act was unlawful as a result of taxation is the authority of the Congress, however the president then stated he’s going to subject quote “legally permissible tariffs” and that he does not have to go to Congress. So are you able to make clear? Will you ask Congress to legislate tariffs? And if that’s the case, which of them?
JAMIESON GREER: So once more, thanks for having me on and proper now, it is necessary to grasp that over time, Congress has delegated huge tariff-setting authority to the president, relying on the scenario. So though the Supreme Court docket struck down tariffs below one authority, tariffs below different nationwide safety components stay in place. Tariffs below what we name Part 301 associated to unfair buying and selling practices, stay in place. And so we after all, can conduct further investigations below these instruments to impose tariffs, to have continuity within the president’s commerce coverage.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However to be clear, these investigations, they’ve guardrails. They’ve processes. In reality, the 301s, they may take a yr or so to finish these investigations earlier than tariffs are available. You will not have the flexibility to maneuver as rapidly now that the court docket has dominated, appropriate?
: So we do not have the identical flexibility that IEEPA gave us, which is the emergency statute below Part 301, we’ve sequence of hearings, we’ve public remark, we seek the advice of with the opposite international locations, after which we attempt to resolve the unfair practices we determine, and if they are not resolved, you’ll be able to take actions like tariffs or different issues to attempt to resolve them. We’ve got tariffs like this already in place on China. We’ve got open investigations already.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However again on the query of congressional authority, there have been six Home Republicans who voted the opposite week to roll again the tariffs that the U.S. had placed on items from Canada. That may be a sign right here of apprehension amongst members of the president’s personal celebration. Given the president’s low approval rankings on the financial system, in response to CBS polling, he is at 39% now, are you able to go and ask Republican lawmakers, once you had been simply months out from these midterm races, to take a vote to legislate on tariffs?
: So that is, that is fascinating, as a result of one, I’ve heard from a whole lot of Republicans over the previous yr, ones who historically, you recognize, weren’t at all times in favor of tariffs, they’ve now come round. They usually stated, one, we have seen this as efficient to barter offers. Two, we have seen it is efficient to re-shore. And three, it is actual cash coming in. And so I’ve heard from of us everywhere in the spectrum, and I’ve to level out too, we did get one Democrat voting in favor of the tariffs as nicely. And the Republicans who voted in opposition to the president, they vote in opposition to him on every thing, these are people who find themselves both within the doghouse or on the best way out. So it isn’t, it is not likely consultant of the place the celebration is.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Properly, one in all them had been endorsed by the president, although the president simply pulled again the endorsement as a result of he did not like what he stated about tariffs, nevertheless it however to my level, will you ask Congress to truly legislate, or are you simply going to keep away from going to Congress?
: Properly, nicely, initially, Congress has already put out statutes permitting the president to impose tariffs. And tariffs have been in place below these varieties of statutes for, for a few years at this level. So in some methods, Congress has already pre-approved some of these authorities. I am completely satisfied to have conversations with Congress about the best way to legislate the president’s commerce program. And I’ve had, you recognize, conversations like that already, and there may be some curiosity, and so we’re completely satisfied to speak to them about it, however we’re not going to cease our program. We’ll simply use the congressional authorities they’ve prolonged already for now.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, so when it comes to the prevailing authorities, the president stated he will signal an order to impose a ten% international tariff below Part 122. That was Friday. The following morning, he posted on social media, he will hike it to the utmost of 15%. What modified in a single day in your technique?
: Properly, I believe, nicely, the technique did not, did not change, as a result of the issue stays the identical, and albeit, because the president’s advisers ref- review- reviewed this motion, this authority permits the president to go as much as 15%. And contemplating the severity of the problem we’re coping with, which is a big, enormous unfairness, enormous disparity, enormous imbalance between the US and its buying and selling companions, simply the urgency of the scenario calls for that he use his full authority, which is to impose a tariff at–
[CROSSTALK BEGINS]
MARGARET BRENNAN: –but that expires at 5 months–
: –15% for about 5 months.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah, that expires at 5 months.
: That is proper. That is precisely right–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –what again to, you would need to then ask Congress–
: –So within the meantime what we will likely be doing. No, so I am unsure you perceive how Part 301 works. We [inaud] course of process–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –No, we’re speaking about Part 122–
:–an investigation–
[CROSSTALK ENDS]
MARGARET BRENNAN: We’re speaking about Part 122, you stated, is not that what the president’s utilizing to hike to fifteen%?
: I am agreeing with you. In order that’s proper, that is proper. And through that point, we will conduct investigations that may enable us to impose tariffs if it is justified by the investigation. So we count on to have continuity within the president’s tariff program. We all know that these legal guidelines work. They’re tried and true, and so we’ll have continuity. The pres- the coverage hasn’t modified, simply the instruments have modified.
MARGARET BRENNAN Okay, so that you’re saying 122 expires after, after this time period, however you count on your investigation to type of choose up the place they left off. Is that what you are saying with continuity?
: Yeah, that is one technique to put it, yeah, yeah.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, so when it comes to what’s taking place around the globe, you had India reportedly name off a go to by their commerce delegation to Washington, as a result of they’re attempting to determine what simply occurred South Korea, the EU bloc, they’re each holding emergency se- conferences to attempt to determine what is going on on. They’ve commerce offers with the U.S. What is going on to occur to these commerce offers? Are they in jeopardy?
: So I spoke with my counterpart from the EU this weekend. I’ve a name that I’ll have with others. I spoke to my counterparts in different international locations. And so the offers, the offers, weren’t premised on whether or not or not the lit- the emergency tariff litigation would rise or fall. They weren’t premised on that. So it’s very regular for these international locations to speak to one another, have conferences internally to find out this. However relaxation assured, I have been talking to those of us as nicely, and I have been telling them for a yr whether or not this case, whether or not we gained or misplaced, we had been going to have tariffs. The president’s coverage was going to proceed. That is why they signed these offers, even whereas the litigation was pending. So we’re having energetic conversations with them. We would like them to grasp that these offers are going to be good offers. We, we count on to face by them. We count on our companions to face by them. And I have never heard anybody but come to me and say, the deal’s off. They wish to see how this performs out. I am in energetic dialog with them on it.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, so we’ll watch that house. The Supreme Court docket ruling that vote was 6-3. The president, as you recognize, you had been there, got here out publicly, and he railed in opposition to a few of these justices by identify. He stated this on Friday, take a hear.
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: They’re very unpatriotic and disloyal to our Structure. It is my opinion that the court docket has been swayed by overseas pursuits and a political motion that’s far smaller than folks would ever assume.
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MARGARET BRENNAN: That is a fairly enormous allegation. What overseas curiosity has corrupted the Court docket in response to the president?
: Properly, I will not characterize his phrases an excessive amount of. He speaks for himself what I’ll say is that–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –Have you learnt what he is speaking about?–
: So many, so most of the pursuits which might be, that had been at subject on this case, had been actually about overseas importers or foreign- overseas firms which have pursuits right here within the U.S. who’re suing the president and suing the administration. It is overseas firms which might be benefiting from, from the tariffs being struck down. This is the reason, once we impose tariffs, overseas international locations do not prefer it and overseas firms do not prefer it, as a result of they’re those that do not wish to have the tariffs in place. They’re those which might be suing. They’re those which might be attempting to get collectively coalitions and teams who oppose what the president is doing. The president’s preventing for American employees. He is attempting to impose a commerce coverage that has a, has a via line via the primary Trump administration, Biden and Trump with tariffs. Nevertheless it’s overseas international locations and corporations which might be suing that need this stuff to go away.
MARGARET BRENNAN: They’re suing, however the president wasn’t speaking about them. The president was speaking in regards to the Supreme Court docket justices who he stated are unpatriotic and disloyal and swayed by overseas pursuits. Do you could have any proof to back–
: –the foreign–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –that allegation in regards to the Supreme Court docket justices who, as you recognize, face safety threats each day?
: So when the overseas pursuits sue, they seem earlier than the courts. They’re actually arguing earlier than the courts that they need to have a unique consequence. So they’re, and it is fairly apparent that overseas pursuits are concerned. They’re serving to carry lawsuits. They’re arguing earlier than the Court docket, and these justices, six of them, agree with what a whole lot of these overseas pursuits need, which is take down the tariffs, take down the boundaries and allow us to import as a lot low cost crap as we wish to the US on the expense of American employees.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However do it’s good to make clear, or really feel compelled in any technique to make clear, in regard to the allegations in opposition to the justices themselves?
: I am not, I am not talking for the President. What I am telling you is that when the President talks about overseas influences, at a minimal, what we see is that overseas firms are concerned within the coalitions, the PR effort, they’re concerned within the circumstances and so they don’t desire these tariffs. It isn’t a secret. I imply, for, for months these, these overseas international locations and corporations and other people the US who profit from their business relations with them, they need these tariffs to be gone. That, that ought to be the sign for us that we’re doing the proper factor, that we’re over the goal, when the overseas international locations and corporations are actually arguing in court docket via their advocates to take it down, we all know they’ve affect.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Properly, 1500 companies, together with Costco, have filed lawsuits to get repaid for these tariffs, however we’ll depart it there. Jamieson Greer, thanks in your tim this morning. We’ll be proper again with much more Face the Nation, stick with us.
