12 US states sue President Trump over tariffs, say move has hurt their economies

A dozen states, most of them led by Democrats, sued President Donald Trump over his tariffs on Wednesday, arguing that he has no power to "arbitrarily impose tariffs as he has done here".

Contending that only Congress has the power to legislate tariffs, the states are asking the court to block the Trump administration from enforcing what they said were unlawful tariffs.

"These edicts reflect a national trade policy that now hinges on the president's whims rather than the sound exercise of his lawful authority," said the lawsuit. The states, including New York and Oregon, are the latest parties to take Trump govt to court over tariffs. It comes after California filed its own lawsuit last week, saying the escalated trade war has caused "immediate and irreparable harm" to that state's economy.

"When a president pushes an unlawful policy that drives up prices at the grocery store and spikes utility bills, we don't have the luxury of standing by," said Dan Rayfield, attorney general of Oregon, the lead plaintiff in the suit filed Wednesday.

A WH spokesperson called the lawsuit a "witch hunt" by Democrats against Trump.