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Michael Popak
Expedia made to Travel got some breaking news about tariffs, the T word. As Donald Trump would like to say, he's got a loss by Judge Contreras in the District of Columbia about some individual individual tariffs on Chinese opioids and things like that, fresh on the heels of last night's decision by the Court of International Trade. But we have an administrative stay by the Federal Circuit, that specialty appellate court that sits, sits in the District of Columbia, giving them time to read all the papers about whether Donald Trump will be successful in overturning the complete block of his retaliatory tariffs by that Court of International Trade. What is an administrative stay? Does it mean they've made a ruling on the substance of the issue? Why did so many judges join together in issuing the administrative stay? And does it mean anything about the ultimate decision that they're gonna make? I'm gonna answer all those questions and more right here on the Midas Touch Network and Legal af. How'd we get here? Donald Trump dragged a case from a federal judge that he didn't like over to the Court of International Trade in New York. Three judge panel, that's how they do things there, made a ruling late last night against him and ruled that he unconstitutionally imposed retaliatory tariffs. He doesn't have that power. Only Congress has that power. And Congress, while it can delegate, the court said it has to delegate with clear limits and guidelines. It can't be limitless. And Donald Trump doesn't have the power under that. Or are under a International Economic Emergencies Procedures act, we call it ipa, line of cases and statute. That's where we were last night. Donald Trump immediately appealed by filing a notice of appeal with a specialty appellate court. Also article three under the constitution that sits in D.C. called the federal Circuit Court of Appeal. It only handles things like patents and trademarks and things related to the economy and tariffs and technology, all in one court. It's got about 11 members. Hold that number in your head. So he files the notice. Right. He doesn't skip the step and go to the Supreme Court like his usual behavior. While we're waiting to see if the court who's been asked by Trump to issue a stay, whether they're going to enter a stay, at least temporarily. In other words, block the decision by the Court of International Trade to. To tear down the tariffs. Right. While we were waiting for that, which has now happened, Judge Rudy Contreras, a judge that sits in D.C. had a whole nother tariff case in front of him about Chinese opioids and all sorts of things related to China that were imposed by Donald Trump pursuant to some other law. And similarly, Contreras said, no, you don't have the right to issue those tariffs. And so we had another loss for Donald Trump related to that before we even got to the Federal Circuit, for instance, in particular, this is what the judge said in that case. It's a relatively short order Here it is now. And there's a separate order that was granted. But this is the gist. The tariffs deriving from an executive order imposing duties to address the synthetic opioid supply chain, the People's Republic of China and other reciprocal tariffs, all really related to China, they would be under the International Economic Emergency. Sorry, under the International Economic Emergency Economic Powers act, iepa. The judge found that IIPA does not authorize the President to impose tariffs pursuant to those orders. He's therefore preliminarily enjoined from collecting any tariffs, and that shall be now. He's allowing them. He's staying it to allow the parties to seek review in, in another court of appeals, in this case, the D.C. court of Appeals, not the Federal Circuit, where we are related to the decision by the Court of International Trade. Now, on the heels of that, hours later, we just got the ruling from the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals in almost all the judges, 10 out of the 11 judges. So they got together en banc and they made a decision. And the decision is they're going to grant an administrative stay. An administrative stay is the lowest level of injunction that a court can grant. It's usually done without even reviewing any of the documents or the record. But the stay does hold the ring and block the order of the court, the International Court, the Court of International Trade, until they at the higher level, their bosses have, have an opportunity to look at all the papers. So they set a briefing schedule. They want to look at the briefing schedule. They're going to consolidate to appeal. So it's all about one set of briefs. They'll set an oral argument at some point. In the meantime, they don't want to be pressured by the Court of International Trades Order, so they put it on ice. It doesn't mean that they're. That Trump's ultimately going to win. It's a relatively neutral agnostic, if you will, decision by a court happens all the time. They're not looking under the hood. They're not looking at the substance or the merits, what we say, the merits of the appeal. They will, at that point, they may convert the administrative stay into a temporary restraining order or a stay that will last throughout the appeal. Or they might say, no, we don't think you have the grounds for a stay. It's an extraordinary set of relief to ask for from an appellate court. We'll do your appeal, but we're going to let the tariffs come down. My gut is they're going to block the order, tearing down the tariffs until they've had a chance to fully understand it on appeal because they're going to argue. This is just their argument. I'm sure the court's going to argue, well, we can't put the toothpaste back in the tube. If all the tariffs are torn down and then we rule that was wrong. It's very hard to, to impose them again. It's diplomatic and economic chaos which we don't need. We'll just stay the order for a month or two until we have a fast paced emergency or a fast paced briefing on this particular issue. That's what I think is going to happen. So the takeaway is Donald Trump did get the administrative stay to block the international, the Court of International Trade's decision while they get their, their minds around the appeal. I think they'll keep that stay in place until the appeal is concluded. While they may put it on a fast track. And as a side note to that, a side branch to this discussion, Judge Contreras also determined on similar grounds Judge Contreras also determined on similar grounds that the Donald Trump's use of ipa, a body of law, does not empower him to issue tailored sanctions by way of tariff imposition on China. So that's where we are in the tariff wars. Join us here on Midas Touch on Legal A for regular updates. You see how fast moving this story is? We got a couple of stories that are really moving fast. Everything related to Harvard really moving fast. Everything related to tariffs really moving fast. So come to Midas Touch and then slide over to Legal AF, the YouTube channel where every hour we're doing a new video on related to the law, related to the intersection of law and politics. We want to be one stop shopping for you in that area. And if you really want to nerd out, come over to our substack where we're posting decisions like the one you just found and that I just discussed up under Filings af. So till my next report, I'm Michael Popak for Midas Touch and Legal af.
Ben Meiselas
Hey everybody. Ben Meiselas here from the Midas Touch Network. I wanted to let you know about my podcast partner Michael Popo's new law firm. It's called the Popak Firm. Michael Popo's pursuing his dream of starting his own law firm, really based on the popular demand by all the Midas mighty and Legal A effers who are approaching Michael Popak with their cases and saying, can you help us? And at that time, Popak was not able to. So he went out on his own. He started the Popoc firm where he is now handling catastrophic injury cases like car accident cases, trucking cases, malpractice cases, big negligence cases, wrongful death cases. So if you or someone you know have a case like this, the consultation with popo firm is free. Give them a call. See if you have a case. It's ThePopoc Firm.com ThePopoc Firm.com or you can call 877-popocaF-P-P-O p o k a f so 1-877-pop- okaf. Give Michael Popak and I'm really proud of you Popak. Thanks for all the hard work you're putting in. There are research firms, there are consulting firms, and then there's Forrester. Forrester combines research based insights with hands on guidance that's focused on your needs and goals. Whether you're looking to align your organization or transform your business through generative AI, Forrester is on your side and by your side. Meet Today's forester@forester.com.
Episode Title: Trump Tariffs Showdown Meets Full Court Press
Release Date: May 30, 2025
Hosts: Ben Meiselas, Michael Popok, Karen Friedman Agnifilo
Produced by: Meidas Media Network
In this episode of Legal AF by MeidasTouch, national trial lawyer strategist Michael Popok delves deep into the ongoing legal battles surrounding former President Donald Trump's imposition of retaliatory tariffs on Chinese goods, particularly focusing on tariffs related to Chinese opioids. The discussion provides a comprehensive analysis of recent court decisions, the implications of administrative stays, and the potential outcomes of the appellate process.
Michael Popok begins by outlining the origin of Trump's tariffs, which were implemented as retaliatory measures against China under the guise of addressing issues like the synthetic opioid supply chain. These tariffs were imposed pursuant to the International Economic Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
Key Quote:
"Donald Trump imposed retaliatory tariffs aimed at addressing the synthetic opioid supply chain and other economic concerns related to China."
[02:50] Michael Popok
The tariffs faced immediate legal challenges, leading to rulings against their legality. Initially, the Court of International Trade ruled that Trump's tariffs were unconstitutional, stating that only Congress holds the power to impose such tariffs, and that the delegation of this power must have clear limits and guidelines.
Subsequently, Judge Rudy Contreras of the District Court in Washington, D.C., provided another setback for Trump by ruling that the IIEPA does not grant the President authority to impose these specific tariffs. This led to a preliminary injunction preventing the collection of these tariffs.
Key Quote:
"The court ruled that Trump unconstitutionally imposed retaliatory tariffs, stating that only Congress has that power."
[04:15] Michael Popok
In response to these rulings, Trump sought to appeal the decisions. The Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, a specialized appellate court in D.C. handling cases related to patents, trademarks, economy, tariffs, and technology, granted an administrative stay. This stay temporarily blocks the implementation of the Court of International Trade's decision, allowing Trump time to submit briefs and prepare for a more comprehensive review of his appeal.
Michael explains that an administrative stay is a preliminary measure that doesn’t indicate the court’s stance on the merits of the case but serves to maintain the status quo until a full review can be conducted.
Key Quote:
"An administrative stay is the lowest level of injunction, typically granted without a full review, to temporarily block the court's order while the appeal is considered."
[06:40] Michael Popok
Michael speculates on the potential outcomes and strategic moves that may follow the administrative stay. He suggests that the Federal Circuit's decision to grant the stay likely indicates a neutral stance, neither affirming nor rejecting the appellate potential of Trump's arguments.
He predicts that the stay will remain in place during the appeal process, preventing the immediate rollback of the tariffs until the appellate court thoroughly reviews the case. Michael also touches on the broader economic and diplomatic ramifications, noting that reversing the tariffs would have significant implications for both domestic and international markets.
Key Quote:
"While the stay doesn’t mean Trump will ultimately win, it prevents immediate disruption, allowing the appellate court to fully assess the merits of the case."
[09:05] Michael Popok
The episode provides listeners with an in-depth understanding of the complex legal maneuvers surrounding Trump's tariffs on China. Michael Popok effectively breaks down the procedural aspects, the roles of different courts, and the significance of the administrative stay, offering valuable insights into what this means for future legal and economic landscapes.
Towards the end of the episode, host Ben Meiselas briefly promotes Michael Popok’s newly established law firm, The Popak Firm, highlighting its focus on catastrophic injury cases and offering free consultations for potential clients.
Key Quote:
"Michael Popak's new law firm, The Popak Firm, is now handling catastrophic injury cases, offering free consultations for those in need."
[10:22] Ben Meiselas
For more detailed analyses and updates on the intersection of law and politics, tune into future episodes of Legal AF by MeidasTouch every Wednesday and Sunday.