The Lead
Is the Sun Setting on Trump's Fantasized Greatness?
by Stewart Battle (EIRNS) — Feb. 20, 2026
The 6-3 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court against President Donald Trump’s tariff policy is a useful shot across the bow for a policy of executive overreach that has become dangerously out of control. As Paul Gallagher put it in an article released in this week’s issue of Executive Intelligence Review: “Though it was said that the Sun never set on the British Empire, the Sun is now beginning to set on Trump’s economic ‘experiment,’ which was supposed to turn the United States into a manufacturing superpower once again, leading the world in technology, weaponry, and computer power.”
The facts speak for themselves.
• Statistics released on Feb. 19 by the U.S. Census Bureau revealed that the U.S. trade deficit for 2025 rose to the highest level on record, at $1.241 trillion.
• Concerning job creation, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its annual revision last month, which found that a whopping 862,000 fewer jobs were created in 2025 than had previously been reported. Further, manufacturing employment has dropped every month of President Trump’s second term thus far.
• Trump’s tariffs revenues have not only been far less than expected, at roughly $260 billion, but they have also predominantly been paid by American companies and consumers. (Of course, they have also been illegal!) At the same time, the U.S. national deficit has continued to skyrocket and is on the verge of surpassing $39 trillion.
• The cost of living for Americans continues to be higher than ever, with unaffordable prices for housing, healthcare, education, and other essential needs, while private debt is going through the roof.
The U.S. Supreme Court has now ruled that the majority of Trump’s tariffs were unconstitutional, as the Constitution never granted the Executive Branch the power of taxation. It is to be hoped that this decision will put in check the aggressive “unitary executive” policy that Trump has utilized in virtually every domain—including by launching illegal sanctions and military actions across the world.
Such a powerful move is all the more urgent given the fact that the United States is on the verge of plunging into an even more disastrous decision than all of the above combined—an illegal war against Iran. The U.S. is now engaged in the most massive military buildup in Southwest Asia since the beginning of the Iraq War in 2003, with some reports indicating that troops are already being pulled out of select military bases in the region. Trump himself appears bellicose, having recently threatened that Iran has less than 10 days to “make a deal” or face the repercussions. He also admitted on Feb. 20 that he was actively considering a military strike on the country.
If a war is launched, it could quickly spread across the entirety of Southwest Asia, and even pull in much larger powers like Russia and China. In that regard, it’s notable that Russia and Iran recently concluded joint military exercises in the Strait of Hormuz, and there are planned joint exercises by Russia, China, and Iran in the coming period. Iran has also threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz in the event of an attack, which itself could trigger an economic crisis for the whole world. No matter what, Trump is “playing with fire,” as Russian Foreign Minister recently stated.
However, this is all happening while the Epstein scandal continues to reverberate around the world, with the arrest of the U.K.’s former Prince Andrew likely only the beginning of the disintegration of the “Epstein class.” This is now a rapidly unfolding process that is wholly outside the control of the world’s so-called elites, and has the potential to not only bring down many of the more despicable actors on the world stage, but to end the system which such immoral types have enforced upon the world.
These events will hopefully become a reminder to people around the world that “there is a limit to the tyrant’s power”—as Friedrich Schiller’s Wilhelm Tell insisted. Events happening today present a situation of potential global transformation that has never before existed in modern history.
However, this must not simply be a clearing out of the rot, but rather an affirmative decision to create a new system out of the failed wreckage of the old. Or, as the Russians continue to insist, resolving any crisis requires addressing the root causes of that conflict. In today’s case, that requires a completely new conception—a New Paradigm, a new security and development architecture—which replaces the system of British geopolitics and instead takes into account the interests of security and development of every country.
Therefore, the U.S. Supreme Court ruling might just be the olive branch that reminds us of what it means to stand up and declare your independence.
Contents
Strategic War Danger
- Trump Reportedly Considering ‘Limited Strikes’ To Force Iran To Make a Deal (↓)
- Joint Russia-Iranian Naval Exercise Concludes (↓)
- Starmer Reportedly Blocks U.S. Use of British Bases for Strikes on Iran (↓)
- As Trump Gears Up for Strike on Iran, Congress Prepares To Step Aside (↓)
Collapsing Imperial System
- EIR Was Right: Trump's Tariffs Are an Economic and a Constitutional Failure (↓)
- 'Look Over Here! Over Here!' Suggests the U.S. President (↓)
- Former Caribbean National Leaders Urge U.S. To Lift Its 'Fuel Tourniquet' on Cuba (↓)
- Blair Claims 'Gaza Riviera' Is the Plan at Board of Peace Summit (↓)
New World Paradigm
- Egypt and Iran Have Agreed To Reestablish Diplomatic Relations (↓)
- Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov Urges To Protect the Positive Dynamic Surrounding Iran (↓)
