You can’t expect to shake up the foundation of the country without some level of pushback. And in the case of President Donald J. Trump, serious legal and political backlash comes in direct opposition to controversial executive actions signed within the first month of his term.
From mass deportations to dismantling some of Americas most trusted entities, Trump is going after it all. With the president aiming to disrupt the checks and balance system which has sustained America for 248 years, we should all be paying attention to the White House. As of Feb. 11, there are at least 45 pending lawsuits against Trump. So here’s what you need to know.
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Remember when the president signed an executive order freezing federal spending which caused nationwide panic? A judge quickly ruled against Trump’s attempt last month after 22 states and the District of Columbia challenged the executive memo.
Despite the ruling and the White House formally rescinding the memo, several states claim Trump’s administration continues to deny access to federal funds— blatantly disobeying the federal ruling— so back to court we go!
U.S. District Judge John McConnell in Rhode Island doubled down on his initial ruling preventing the freeze. On Monday (Feb. 10), McConnell reminded the administration of his ruling which “is clear and unambiguous, and there are no impediments to the defendants’ compliance with” it, according to documents obtained by CBS News. If Trump continues on this route, he can find himself in contempt of court or worse, this could lead to his third impeachment.
During his first week, Trump made clear his plans to purge several government agencies from the inside out. Part of this plan includes cutting off communication between these agencies— notably the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)— and everyday Americans.
People started to notice several federal agencies’ websites had been taken down, which led to the matter being taken to court. On Tuesday (Feb. 11), District Judge John D. Bates, who was appointed by George W. Bush, ordered that the president restore the pages saying Trump’s order would likely be detrimental to public health, according to POLITICO.
“These doctors’ time and effort are valuable, scarce resources, and being forced to spend them elsewhere makes their jobs harder and their treatment less effective,” Bates wrote in his ruling. Now, the president has until midnight to ensure all of the website pages and datasets in question are restored.
Trump’s close alliance with Elon Musk has Americans scared, and they should be. Since Musk was named head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), 19 states have sued the Trump administration in order to protect Americans’ information.
According to ABC News, the lawsuit alleges Musk and DOGE are trying to access taxpayer records, including the Social Security numbers and bank account information of millions, which would pose an obvious cyber security risk.
U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer granted the states a temporary restraining order, blocking DOGE’s efforts because “The States have shown a likelihood of success on the merits of their claims, with the States’ statutory claims presenting as particularly strong,” he said according to News 10. Engelmayer also ordered DOGE to delete every record they’ve copied so far until the matter can be fully examined.
In direct retaliation to the ruling, Engelmayer is now facing impeachment. Ariz. Rep. Eli Crane announced he’s drafting articles of impeachment against the judge citing an attempt “to stop White House employees from accessing the very systems they oversee,” according to Newsweek.
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