February 27, 2026 — In this week’s episode of Around the World, hosts Dhruva Jaishankar and Rachel Rizzo recap a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down President Trump’s use of emergency powers to impose global tariffs, exploring its implications for current trade deals and future negotiations. They then pivot to Trump’s State of the Union address, highlighting his claims of economic revival and conflict resolution abroad.
Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Transcript Available SOon
Image: Mathieu Landretti, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Image: The White House, Public Domain, via WhiteHouse.gov
Sneak Peek
Rachel Rizzo: On this week's episode.
Dhruva Jaishankar: The Supreme Court voted six to three to strike down President Donald Trump's use of International Emergency Economic Powers Act, IEEPA, and his use of IEEPA for tariffs. This really constrained his ability to apply tariffs. That being said, there is a sort of menu of options that Trump has on the table, at least five different ways that he can continue to impose tariffs, each with certain limitations. Most immediately, he imposed some tariffs under Section 122, which basically limits tariffs to 15, up to 15%, but only for 150 days, and it can be extended with congressional approval.
Rachel Rizzo: I mean it was like it was typical Trump, you know, he started the main section of the of the State of the Union basically saying our nation is back, it's bigger, it's better, it's richer, it's stronger than ever before. He talked about falling inflation. He claimed credit for what he refers to as a turnaround for the ages. it was pretty light on foreign policy, actually. It took a backseat. But what he did say was, as has become very custom for Trump, pretty self-congratulatory. He claimed credit for ending eight conflicts around the world.
Welcome to Around the World
Dhruva Jaishankar: Hi, I'm Dhruva Jaishankar.
Rachel Rizzo: And I'm Rachel Rizzo. Welcome to the Around the World podcast. Your essential guide to understanding the forces shaping our world today. Every week, we cut through the noise to bring you clear, insightful analysis of the most important developments in geopolitics.
Dhruva Jaishankar: Whether it's security challenges across Europe, power dynamics in Asia, domestic updates from the United States, or regional updates in Latin America or the Middle East, we make sure you're up to speed on what's happening and more importantly, why it matters.
Rachel Rizzo: Thanks for tuning in. And also be sure to like and subscribe to the Around the World podcast on Youtube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Onto the show.