After a Supreme Court ruling invalidating tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, his administration launched a system to refund $166 billion to U.S. importers, Fox News reported. Marjorie Taylor Greene, once a staunch Trump ally who left the Republican Party, used the news to criticize the president, saying his policies cost Americans billions.
Posting on X, formerly Twitter, Greene wrote: “The U.S. government has to refund $166 billion in tariffs, plus interest. Trump said he would be paying Americans checks from tariffs and eventually even replace the income tax. So now not only are you not getting DOGE checks after he canceled DOGE, you’re not getting tariff checks and paying the interest back on tariffs collected.”
Greene then highlighted the ongoing Iran war, which began after U.S. and Israeli joint strikes on Iran. The conflict escalated, with Iran blocking the Strait of Hormuz and driving up U.S. fuel prices.
Emphasizing the point, she added, “And you are also paying $2 billion a day for Trump and Netanyahu’s war in Iran. And you are paying an average [of] $4 per gallon of gas, and inflation is rising again. The lack of humility and understanding the struggle of regular Americans is astounding to me. Trump and his lackeys demand loyalty and name-call and bully, yet Americans struggle more and more.”
The war has hammered the U.S. economy, spiking prices for fuel and everyday goods. Trump once called it a “short excursion to the country,” but it has dragged into its second month after one peace talk failed.
Reactions to Greene’s X post split online. Some supported her; others called her an opportunist. One user wrote: “Your argument is misplaced. If the stupid liberals hadn’t sued him to stop, there would still be tariff money. While pretending to be holier-than-thou, they ended up screwing every taxpayer. Trying to fault Trump for the moronic actions of liberals is exactly why you are in the position you are. You drank the liberal Kool-Aid.”
Another added, “No one likes you. You were hated as a MAGA person because you’re [expletive], and now you’re just trying to rebrand as a centrist or something since you failed.”
Separately, Sen. Elizabeth Warren posted on X: “56,497 companies already applied to get $166 BILLION in refunds for Donald Trump’s illegal tariffs. But where’s Trump’s plan to give the American people their money back? Every second that ticks by with no refund for American families is theft in broad daylight.”
The refund program, potentially the largest in U.S. history, uses a new system called CAPE. It allows U.S. Customs and Border Protection to issue consolidated electronic payments to importers, Fox News reported.