WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said he won’t attend the Supreme Court's oral arguments concerning the legality of his tariffs on imports from other countries.

The justices will hear arguments on Nov. 5, and Trump had said he might make history as the first sitting president to attend a high court hearing because the case is so important. But Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Nov. 2 that he does not "want to do anything to deflect the importance" of the decision.

"I will not be going to the Court on Wednesday in that I do not want to distract from the importance of this Decision," Trump said in a social media post on Nov. 2. "It will be, in my opinion, one of the most important and consequential Decisions ever made by the United States Supreme Court."

Trump’s tariffs on countries around the world are projected to generate $4 trillion for the government over the next decade. The tariffs prompted countries to negotiate trade deals with Trump and persuaded companies to locate more manufacturing in the United States.

But lower courts have ruled Trump overstepped his authority to impose tariffs under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which was historically used to impose economic sanctions and other penalties on foreign enemies.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump says he won't attend Supreme Court arguments on Nov. 5 about tariffs

Reporting by Bart Jansen, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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