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Donald Trump’s MAGA fanbase is melting down after Costco joined a growing list of businesses to launch a lawsuit against his administration.
The retail giant is seeking a full refund of the estimated billions it paid after Trump invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) earlier this year.
Trump used IEEPA to impose new, substantial tariffs on nearly every foreign country, including several from which Costco imports goods.
- Costco sued the Trump administration, seeking a full refund of billions paid under tariffs imposed via IEEPA earlier this year.
- MAGA supporters called for a boycott of Costco, blaming the lawsuit and prior DEI policies for their anger.
- The lawsuit challenges the legality of Trump’s tariffs amid a Supreme Court ruling expected this month.
- Even if tariffs are struck down, Costco warns refunds are not guaranteed without separate court action.
Donald Trump’s MAGA fanbase called for a Costco boycott
Image credits: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
After news of the lawsuit broke, several MAGA supporters called for a boycott of Costco on social media—similar to one attempted in January over the company’s diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) policies.
The GOP mayor of Slippery Rock, a borough in Butler County, Pennsylvania, urged his followers on X to cancel their Costco memberships.
Jondavid ‘JD’ Longo posted on Tuesday, “BYE BYE COSTCO: After doubling down on nonsensical DEI and social justice practices, Costco is suing Trump Administration for full refunds of President Trump’s tariffs.
“If you didn’t have a reason to sell your Costco stock and cancel your memberships before… you do now. Refuse to fund their attack on what The People voted for!”
BYE BYE COSTCO: After doubling down on nonsensical DEI and social justice practices, Costco is suing Trump Administration for full refunds of President Trump’s tariffs
If you didn’t have a reason to sell your Costco stock and cancel your memberships before… you do now.
Refuse… pic.twitter.com/gmpAjyxyP8
— Mayor Jondavid “JD” Longo (@JondavidRLongo) December 2, 2025
One MAGA influencer with 14,000 followers similarly posted: “Just cancelled my @Costco membership.”
The user, SS, a self-described ‘Trumplican,’ was soon fact-checked on X after users found a post from the same account in January saying they had canceled their Costco membership.
That came about the same time as an attempted boycott over Costco’s refusal to bow to demands to axe its DEI commitments.
Another social media user wrote, “Costco is actually SUING President Trump and demanding tariff refunds.
“Yes — the same Costco that profits off American families every single day is now trying to claw back money from the man fighting to bring U.S. manufacturing back.”
🚨 JUST IN: Costco is actually SUING President Trump and demanding tariff refunds.
What a joke.This is pathetic behavior from a company that made billions off the American people.
Costco should be ashamed of themselves. pic.twitter.com/rEJWikY3Vw— ⁿᵉʷˢ Barron Trump 🇺🇸 (@BarronTNews_) December 2, 2025
“Absolutely pathetic. Costco should be ASHAMED of themselves.”
A fan account dedicated to Trump’s son, Barron Trump, added, “What a joke. This is pathetic behavior from a company that made billions off the American people.
“Costco should be ashamed of themselves.”
The lawsuit comes as a Supreme Court ruling on the legality of the tariffs is expected this month, with three lower courts already ruling that Trump exceeded his authority by using the IEEPA to impose tariffs.
Lawyers for Costco cautioned that even if the Supreme Court strikes down the tariffs, the company is not automatically guaranteed a full refund of duties already paid.
Costco is trying to secure a full refund if the Supreme Court strikes down the tariffs
Image credits: John Keeble/Getty Images
In its lawsuit, filed over Thanksgiving, Costco asked the U.S. Court of International Trade to declare the IEEPA tariffs unlawful, secure a full refund of the duties it has paid, and issue an injunction preventing further duties under the challenged executive orders.
“This separate action is necessary, however, because even if the IEEPA duties and underlying executive orders are held unlawful by the Supreme Court, importers that have paid IEEPA duties, including Plaintiff, are not guaranteed a refund for those unlawfully collected tariffs in the absence of their own judgment and judicial relief,” the filing reads.
The lawsuit was filed before a December 15 liquidation deadline, after which recovering funds already paid would become much more difficult.
At a hearing in November, Justice Amy Coney Barrett said it would be a “mess” to issue refunds to companies that have paid the tariffs.
Image credits: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
The Trump administration has collected roughly $90 billion in revenue from the tariffs invoked under IEEPA, almost half of the $195 billion collected from tariffs so far.
“If you win, tell me how the reimbursement process would work. Would it be a complete mess?” Barrett asked Neal Katyal, who was representing five small businesses.
Katyal said those companies would be entitled to a refund, but described it as a “very complicated thing.”
“So, a mess,” Barrett questioned.
“It’s difficult, absolutely, we don’t deny that,” Katyal responded.
If the Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, agrees that the tariffs are an overreach of presidential power, it will be the first time the court has ruled against Trump since the start of his second term.
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