Trump accused of phoning news station under fake name to complain about tariffs - here's the truth

A news network has cleared things up after a caller who sounded very much like US president Donald Trump phoned in to slam the Supreme Court's decision on tariffs.

Last week (20 February), the US Supreme Court ruled against Trump's tariffs, stating that he overstepped his authority by introducing broad tariffs under legislation intended for use during a national emergency.

The justices found that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not grant the president the power to impose tariffs, with the court striking down Trump’s tariffs by a 6-3 majority.

Liberal justices Ketanji Brown Jackson, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor sided with conservative colleagues Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch and John Roberts to overturn the measures. Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented.

A caller named John Barron, who was introduced as a Republican from Virginia, rang into Washington Journal on C-SPAN last Friday morning, the day of the announcement, to slam the Supreme Court over its ruling.

As he launched into what he called the 'worst decision' the Supreme Court has ever made, some social media users reckon the voice sounded strikingly familiar.

One wrote: "Classic Trump energy in full display. Using a pseudonym to stir the pot never gets old."

'John Barron' also happens to be an alias Trump used in the 1980s when speaking to reporters while posing as his own spokesperson.

A 2016 report by The Washington Post described Barron as 'Trump’s go-to alias when he was under scrutiny, in need of a tough front man or otherwise wanting to convey a message without attaching his own name to it'.

In 1990, Trump acknowledged the pseudonym during sworn testimony in a lawsuit, saying, 'I believe on occasion I used that name'.

"This is the worst decision you ever have in your life practically," Barron said on C-SPAN, adding: "This is a terrible decision, and you have Hakeem Jeffries, who ... he’s a dope.

"And you have Chuck Schumer, who can’t cook a cheeseburger. Of course these people are happy. Of course these people are happy. But true Americans will not be happy."

Greta Brawner, host of Washington Journal, cut the call short before moving on to another viewer.

Later that day, Trump spoke out against the ruling during a Friday afternoon press conference, where he branded the court a 'disgrace' and said the ruling was an 'embarrassment to their families'.

"The Supreme Court’s ruling on tariffs is deeply disappointing, and I’m ashamed of certain members of the court, absolutely ashamed, for not having the courage to do what’s right for our country," he said.

C-SPAN has stated that the call 'was not the president'.

"The call came from a central Virginia phone number and came while the president was in a widely covered, in-person White House meeting with the governors," C-SPAN wrote on social media.

"Tune into C-SPAN for the actual president at the State of the Union Address on Tuesday night."

Trump's public schedule included a meeting with the governors, which started at 9.30am at the White House.

At 10.30am, Trump was listed as holding a ‘private meeting’, closed to the press.

Barron called into C-SPAN at 10.51am.

Tyla has reached out to the White House for comment.