In the Making: Supreme Court Stops Trump’s Tariffs — What Happens Now?

This week, we are joined by historian Tim Galsworthy for a packed episode covering one of the most chaotic stretches in US politics this year.

We break down the Supreme Court’s landmark decision striking down Donald Trump’s global tariffs, the president’s furious response, and the emergency powers he’s now invoking to push through a 10% global tariff anyway. What does this mean for everyday Americans, and why are tariffs suddenly one of the most unpopular policies in the country?

We also examine the latest security incident at Mar‑a‑Lago, where a 21‑year‑old armed man was shot and killed after entering the perimeter. With multiple attempts on Trump’s life in recent years, Tim explores why political violence is becoming disturbingly normalized in the US, and why assassination attempts rarely achieve what their perpetrators imagine.

Across the Atlantic, the UK is reeling from the arrests of Prince Andrew and Lord Peter Mandelson on suspicion of misconduct in public office. With both cases linked to the fallout from the Epstein files, Liam and Tim discuss whether this mounting pressure could finally force US lawmakers to act, and why Trump’s own base is fracturing over his refusal to release the full documents.

Finally, we speak with Corbin Trent, former Communications Director for AOC and senior figure on Bernie Sanders’ 2020 campaign, about authenticity in political messaging, the rise of left‑wing candidates like Zohran Mamdani, and whether the Democratic Party’s future is more socialist than its leadership wants to admit.

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Stories Mentioned:

• America’s Undoing: https://www.americasundoing.com/
• Supreme Court says no: https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-tariffs-trump-0485fcda30a7310501123e4931dba3f9
• Trump’s 15% executive order: https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-tariffs-trump-0485fcda30a7310501123e4931dba3f9
• Section 122: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8r1e327z46o
• Andrew arrested: https://edition.cnn.com/2026/02/19/uk/andrew-mountbatten-windsor-arrest-what-we-know-intl
• Another Trump assassination attempt: https://news.sky.com/story/armed-man-shot-and-killed-after-entering-perimeter-of-mar-a-lago-13510785

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America: The Story of the USA is a Podcasts by Liam production for Mercury, in partnership with the British Association for American Studies.

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