After the Supreme Court invalidated most of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff policy, Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro said that the president’s signature economic agenda has hurt the American people.
“I wish he would just adhere to the Supreme Court’s ruling and stop the pain for the American people,” Shapiro told ABC News’ “This Week” co-anchor Martha Raddatz in an interview aired Sunday.
ABC News’ Martha Raddatz sits down with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro in Washington, D.C.
ABC News
In a 6-3 decision on Friday, the court dealt a major blow to the president’s economic agenda. The court’s ruling deemed that the International Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) did not give Trump the power to impose tariffs unilaterally.
Following the court’s decision, Trump imposed a 15% global tariff, using Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974.
“Other alternatives will now be used to replace the ones that the court incorrectly rejected,” Trump said Friday.
Shapiro, who was at the White House for a governor’s meeting when the court’s decision was released, said he witnessed Trump’s first reaction.
“He was going on and on about other topics, and an aide interrupted him, handed him a note. He read the note, he asked the aide if that meant, I think he said, ‘We lost?’ as a question, the aide nodded in affirmation. He called it a disgrace,” Shapiro said.
Shapiro said that he thinks there are “real legal questions” over Trump’s alternate plans to continue to levy tariffs and said they are “going to create more chaos and higher costs for the American people.”
“The thing about the tariffs is he’s doing it in a way that is hurting the American people, hurting our farmers, hurting consumers, hurting our small businesses,” Shapiro said.
President Donald Trump speaks during a Governors Working Breakfast in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., Feb. 20, 2026.
Bonnie Cash, Pool via EPA via Shutterstock
Shapiro said Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) operations also came up in Trump’s meeting with governors when a governor asked Trump what he learned from the operation in Minnesota.
“The president said, in the way he says things, ‘I learned we’re only going to go to places where we’re wanted, where people say please and thank you,'” Shapiro recalled.
Shapiro added that he is prepared for a potential deployment of ICE agents to Pennsylvania, but stressed such an operation would be “against our will.”
“We do not want that kind of chaos in our communities in Pennsylvania, so don’t come. But if you come, we are prepared to address it,” Shapiro said.
Late last month, Trump dispatched border czar Tom Homan to head ICE’s operation in Minneapolis that was previously overseen by Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino.
Shapiro said the change in leadership is “less important” than the mission itself.
“What’s more important is that these individuals are being sent out on what I think are compromised and unconstitutional missions, as we saw in Minneapolis,” Shapiro said. “The direction’s coming from the president of the United States.”
ABC News’ Martha Raddatz interviews Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro in Washington, D.C.
ABC News
In the wake of the Minneapolis surge, 70% of Democrats now support abolishing ICE, according to an ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll conducted Feb. 12-17.
Asked if he supported abolishing ICE, Shapiro did not say directly whether he does or not.
“I think what’s clear is that ICE is not working,” Shapiro said. “What’s clear is that they’ve been engaged in unconstitutional practices, and that needs to be fixed. I think the first step is what the Congress of the United States is doing right now to try and put some controls on that, and I want to see those controls be put into effect again.”
“But controls, not abolish,” Raddatz pressed.
Shapiro replied he’s not “going to get caught up in labels here.”
Raddatz pressed again: “It’s not a label, really, it’s do you get rid of them altogether, or do you try to do it better?”
“I think what is clear is that the manner in which they are being directed is a manner that directs them to go violate people’s constitutional rights, and that is not something I support,” Shapiro responded.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro In Conversation at 92NY on Jan. 27, 2026, in New York.
Theo Wargo/Getty Images
With the first primaries in this year’s midterm elections coming up on March 3, Shapiro said Democrats must show up to vote in a “national referendum on these chaotic, cruel and corrupt policies of the Trump administration.”
The New York Times reported last week that Shapiro and Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman don’t speak to each other.
Shapiro told Raddatz that reporting is “not true” and that they share a “constructive relationship to try and ensure that the people of Pennsylvania are served.”
“He and I are obviously different people. He casts some votes and takes some positions that I strongly disagree with, but at the end of the day, my job is to serve the people of Pennsylvania,” Shapiro said.
Pressed multiple times if he would support Fetterman if he decides to run for re-election, Shapiro would not say.
“He needs to decide if he’s running for reelection, and then we’ll make a determination thereafter,” Shapiro said.
Raddatz also asked Shapiro about potential U.S. strikes on Iran as a massive buildup of U.S. military assets in the Middle East continues.
Shapiro said that Trump owes the American people an explanation of “clear purpose, clear intentions, clear directives” if he were to take action in Iran.
“I’d want to know what the president’s goals are. I’d want to know what his objectives are,” Shapiro said.
“We know the Iranians. These are the bad guys,” Shapiro added. “These are the people who are the largest exporter of terrorism around the globe. You will find no sympathy from me when it comes to the Iranians.”
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