Former Senator Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat, is calling for all residents in The Buckeye State to receive a $1,336 rebate check after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last week that some of President Donald Trump’s tariffs were unconstitutional.
“I’m calling for a $1,336 refund for every Ohio household. The reckless tariffs ruled illegal by the Supreme Court cost Ohioans $6.5 billion, but [Republican Ohio Senator] Jon Husted supported them at every turn,” Brown wrote on X on Monday. “Ohioans are being crushed by soaring prices and they deserve their money back.”
The Context
Brown is seeking a return to the Senate in this year’s midterms after he was defeated in 2024 by Republican Bernie Moreno.
In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court voted Friday to strike down the sweeping tariffs imposed by the president under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) on “Liberation Day” in 2025.
The court had grappled over whether Trump had the authority to impose the tariffs under the IEEPA, a 1977 law that grants commanders-in-chief special powers in emergencies, but ultimately decided tariffs must be approved by Congress.
The tariffs raised prices for American consumers across a wide range of items, affecting everything from food and electronics to homebuilding. They were implemented by the president to boost the U.S. trade position globally and restore American manufacturing.
What To Know
Brown is not alone in calling for rebate checks for Americans now that Trump’s tariffs were deemed unconstitutional by the court.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, a staunch critic of Trump, has called for the Trump administration to pay back Americans for the price hikes enacted by his tariffs online.
“Time to pay the piper, Donald. These tariffs were nothing more than an illegal cash grab that drove up prices and hurt working families, so you could wreck longstanding alliances and extort them,” Newsom said in a statement Friday. “Every dollar unlawfully taken must be refunded immediately—with interest. Cough up!”
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker made a similar demand for the Trump administration, releasing a letter to the president with an attached invoice for $8.68 million following Friday’s ruling.
“Your tariff taxes wreaked havoc on farmers, enraged our allies and sent grocery prices through the roof,” Pritzker said. “This morning, your hand-picked Supreme Court justices notified you that they are also unconstitutional.”
Trump is the first president ever to use IEEPA to impose tariffs.
By using emergency declarations tied to drug trafficking, illegal immigration and trade deficits, the administration imposed tariffs on China, Canada, and Mexico as well as a broad “reciprocal” tariff on nearly all U.S. trading partners.
Trump previously said the U.S. was bringing in “trillions of dollars” and that a “dividend of at least $2,000 a person (not including high income people!) will be paid to everyone.”
However, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) previously predicted that such payments would cost $600 billion per year, compared with the roughly $300 billion that Trump’s tariffs are expected to raise each year.
Last week, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said she did not have an update on the timeline for the promised tariff rebate checks but added it’s something the president and his economic team “continue to very seriously discuss.”
What People Are Saying
Senator Jon Husted, an Ohio Republican, wrote on X on Friday: “Tariffs are an important tool for protecting American workers and confronting unfair trade practices. Today, the Supreme Court has spoken. In America, we respect the rule of law even when we disagree with it. I look forward to working with the President, his administration, and my colleagues in the Senate to continue supporting America-First trade policies, prioritizing American consumers and job creators, and pushing back on adversaries like China.”
Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, wrote on Saturday: “When someone illegally takes your money, that’s called stealing. Donald Trump stole your money with his illegal tariffs—and you paid higher prices on everything from housing to groceries. It’s time for Trump to pay up and give back your money.”
Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group and the host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek: “This is politics 101, cand there is less than a zero-chance people will receive rebates for the tariffs they have paid. A repayment of the tariffs back to the US citizenry would not only materially impact the budgets but also increase inflationary pressures.”
Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek: “With the Supreme Court’s most recent ruling, some elected officials are looking to capitalize on that unpopularity by pushing for refund checks that equal or exceed the estimated amount the tariffs caused in additional costs for individuals and families. The problem is the tariff issue is far from over. With Trump’s latest round of global tariffs and more than likely further legal action to sort out about existing funds and how they will be refunded, if at all, it’s difficult to say exactly what will happen with current and future tariff revenue. If you’re waiting on a rebate check, you may be waiting for a long time.”
Recent Polling Between Brown and Husted
In the race for the Senate, a poll from Emerson College that was conducted between December 6-8, 2025, found that Husted, Husted, who was appointed by Governor Mike DeWine to fill the vacancy created by JD Vance’s election as vice president, was up three points compared to Brown (49 percent to 46 percent). Meanwhile, a Bowling Green State University Democracy and Public Policy Research Network/YouGov poll that was conducted from October 2-14, 2025, showed Brown leading by 1 point (49 percent to 48 percent).
What Happens Next
After the court’s ruling, Trump announced a new 15 percent blanket tariff on all countries— “many of which have been ripping the U.S. off for decades” he said—pending a review of what he described as “new and legally permissible tariffs.” These will come into effect on Tuesday, the White House said.
Trump’s new tariffs are permitted for 150 days under Section 122 of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974 but will automatically expire unless extended by a congressional vote before the end of that period.
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