Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Portland judge rejects Trump request to lift national guard deployment block — Federal judge Karin Immergut in Portland, Oregon, on Friday rejected the Trump administration's request to immediately lift her temporary restraining order blocking the deployment of federalized national guard troops to the city in response to a small protest outside an ICE office. Immergut had previously issued two orders blocking such deployments, ruling Trump had exceeded his authority and that subsequent attempts to deploy troops from other states constituted an attempt to evade her first order. She announced she would decide by Monday whether to lift the second order.

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• Federal district judge Karin Immergut blocks Trump's deployment of Oregon National Guard to Portland and imposes second order prohibiting any National Guard deployment — Federal district judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee, issued an initial injunction blocking Trump's effort to deploy Oregon National Guard troops to Portland, stating his contentions about Portland's atmosphere were "simply untethered to the facts." When Trump attempted to circumvent this order by deploying federalized California National Guard troops to Oregon instead, Immergut imposed a second order prohibiting the deployment of any National Guard troops to Portland. The lower court ruling was later lifted by the three-judge appellate panel on October 21.
• Judge Immergut rejects Trump's Portland emergency claims and blocks national guard deployment — Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee, issued a temporary restraining order blocking Trump's plan to deploy national guard troops to Portland, rejecting the administration's characterization of the city as "war-ravaged" and finding the president's emergency determination "untethered to the facts." Immergut concluded the deployment violated constitutional limits on executive power and misrepresented conditions on the ground. A federal appeals court later reversed her ruling on October 20, permitting deployment.

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• Judge Perry blocks national guard deployment to Chicago; appeals court upholds — Judge April Perry in Chicago issued a temporary restraining order rejecting the Department of Homeland Security's characterization of Chicago as a "war zone" and blocking national guard deployment, finding DHS claims "simply unreliable" and lacking credibility. The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Perry's ruling. The Trump administration subsequently petitioned the Supreme Court to pause the ruling and permit deployment.
• Chicago federal judge blocks national guard deployment pending case resolution — Federal District Judge April Perry on Wednesday blocked national guard deployment to the Chicago area until her court decides the case or the US Supreme Court intervenes. Perry had previously blocked the deployment for two weeks through a temporary restraining order. Federal government attorneys said they would agree to extend the order but would continue pressing for an emergency Supreme Court order to allow deployment.

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• Stay motion decided — Oregon v. Trump (D. Or.) 3:25-cv-01756 — The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals granted the administration's emergency motion to stay a district court order that had blocked the federalization of 200 members of the Oregon National Guard. In a 2-1 decision, the panel concluded that the President likely lawfully exercised his statutory authority under 10 U.S.C. § 12406(3) , finding his decision “reflect[ed] a colorable assessment of the facts and law within a ‘range of honest judgment.'” The majority found that the district court had erred by minimizing evidence of violence in the months before the federalization order was issued and that it placed too much emphasis on Trump's social media remarks, writing that the deployment constituted a “proportionate” and “measured” response by “sending only a minimal number of Guardsmen to restore order around a federal building” and that the decision of how many troops to send “warrants the highest possible deference.” Judge Graber dissented, warning that the ruling “hands the President a blank check to militarize domestic disputes whenever he declares himself dissatisfied with civilian law enforcement.” The stay reinstates the administration's power to deploy the Oregon National Guard while the appeal proceeds.
• Federal appeals court ruled Trump administration can deploy National Guard to Portland — A federal appeals court ruled that the Trump administration can move forward with deploying National Guard troops to Portland. Two Trump-appointed judges wrote that "Even if the President may exaggerate the extent of the problem on social media, this does not change that other facts provide a colorable basis" to support the deployment. A Clinton-appointed judge dissented, writing that the decision "is not merely absurd, it erodes core constitutional principles."
• Ninth Circuit judge requests en banc rehearing vote on Trump troop deployment ruling — Hours after the three-judge panel decision, a Ninth Circuit judge formally requested a vote on whether the case should be reheard by a larger en banc panel of all 29 active judges. This triggered a formal order requiring written briefs from Oregon and Portland (supporting rehearing) and the Trump administration (opposing it) by midnight Wednesday. All 29 judges will then vote on whether to grant the rehearing. The dissenting judge, Susan Graber, had urged vacatur of the panel's decision, and Oregon's governor and attorney general both called for the full court to reverse the ruling.
• Three-judge federal appeals panel lifts block on Trump's deployment of federalized Oregon National Guard troops to Portland — A three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals voted 2-1 on October 21 to lift a lower court's injunction blocking Trump's deployment of federalized Oregon National Guard troops to Portland. Trump had ordered the deployment citing federal property protection; Oregon's governor and attorney general challenged it as unlawful. The dissenting judge called the ruling "absurd" and without legal justification. Hours later, a Ninth Circuit judge formally requested a vote on whether the full 29-judge court should rehear the case, triggering a briefing schedule with a Wednesday midnight deadline.
• Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals pauses lifting of Portland national guard block — The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday paused the lifting of Judge Immergut's first temporary restraining order blocking deployment of 200 Oregon national guard troops to Portland until the following Tuesday evening. The pause was granted to allow the court time to decide whether to rehear the appeal of that order before a larger 11-judge panel, effectively extending the deployment block for at least four additional days.
• Case update — Oregon v. Trump (D. Or.) 3:25-cv-01756 — The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals applied an administrative stay on an earlier order temporarily blocking the administration from deploying the Oregon National Guard while the legal challenge against it proceeds. The ruling temporarily reinstates the district court's order while the full court determines whether to rehear the case en banc.

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• Judge Susan Illston grants temporary restraining order blocking Trump's mass layoffs during government shutdown — On Wednesday (October 15, 2025), Judge Susan Illston of the US District Court's Northern District of California granted a temporary restraining order blocking Trump's latest mass layoffs from the government shutdown. The order represents a significant legal victory for unions battling the administration's workforce reduction efforts.
• Federal court rules Trump's federal worker layoffs during shutdown illegal — A federal court in San Francisco ruled that Trump's layoffs of federal workers during the government shutdown were illegal. The ruling represented a judicial check on executive action during the shutdown.
• Federal judge temporarily blocked firing of federal employees during shutdown — A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from firing federal employees during the government shutdown, saying the move appeared to be politically motivated and adding, "It's a human cost that cannot be tolerated."
• Federal judge issues temporary injunction blocking federal worker layoffs — A federal judge on October 16, 2025, issued a temporary injunction blocking the Trump administration's layoffs of more than 4,000 federal workers. The injunction halted the firings, though the administration signaled that additional cuts were planned and that the current layoffs represented only a partial reduction in the workforce.
• Judge Illston grants temporary injunction blocking Trump administration federal employee firings during shutdown — Federal Judge Susan Illston of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration's mass firings of federal employees during the government shutdown. The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by labor unions (AFGE and AFSCME) alleging that the Office of Management and Budget and Office of Personnel Management violated law by threatening and executing reductions in force during the shutdown. Judge Illston found evidence that OMB and OPM "took advantage of the lapse in government spending" and acted "arbitrarily and capriciously" in excess of authority.
• Trump administration lays off 4,000 federal workers; federal judge issues temporary injunction — The Trump administration laid off more than 4,000 federal government workers during the shutdown. On October 16, 2025, a federal judge issued a temporary injunction blocking the firings. The Office of Management and Budget director, Russ Vought, stated that the 4,000 layoffs were merely a "snapshot" and that the total number could exceed 10,000. The administration indicated further cuts were expected.

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• Trump administration attempts to deploy California Guard to Portland; Judge Immergut issues second order barring deployment — In response to Judge Immergut's order blocking the Oregon Guard deployment to Portland, the Trump administration attempted to send California National Guard troops previously federalized by Trump into Portland. Judge Immergut issued a second order flatly barring Trump from deploying any federalized Guard in Oregon, finding the move was "in direct contravention" of her earlier decision.
• U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut blocks Oregon National Guard deployment to Portland — U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee, issued an order blocking Trump's deployment of 200 federalized Oregon National Guard troops to Portland. Immergut found that Trump's "determination was simply untethered to the facts" and therefore he lacked the authority to federalize the Oregon Guard under Title 10. The ruling was based on evidence that local and state law enforcement officials had refuted Trump's claims about conditions in Portland.
• Temporary restraining order ruling — Oregon v. Trump (D. Or.) 3:25-cv-01756 — District Court Judge Karin J. Immergut reportedly extended two Temporary Restraining Orders by 14 days, one blocking a Sept. 28 memorandum authorizing the federalization of the Oregon National Guard and the second preventing the deployment of federalized National Guard troops, including from other states, to Portland. The orders were set to expire on Oct. 17. On Oct. 8, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals granted an administrative stay of the TRO blocking federalization of the National Guard, holding that the “administrative stay will best preserve the status quo” while the appeal is pending, although it left in place the order prohibiting the deployment of the Guard.
• Oregon federal judge extends temporary restraining orders blocking Trump national guard deployment to Portland — U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut extended two temporary restraining orders by 14 days that prevent the Trump administration from federalizing and deploying National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon. The orders had been set to expire that week. Immergut, nominated by Trump in his first term, previously ruled that Trump's claims about Portland conditions resembling a war zone were "simply untethered to the facts." A three-judge appeals panel is considering the government's request to lift the first order. Immergut scheduled a non-jury trial for October 29 to determine whether to impose a longer-term deployment block.

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• Motion granted — Illinois v. Trump (N.D. Ill.) 1:25-cv-12174 — The Seventh Circuit denied the request for an administrative stay as to the deployment of the federalized National Guard to Chicago. However, the appeals court granted an administrative stay for the part of the lower court order blocking the federalization of the Guard. “Members of the National Guard do not need to return to their home states unless further ordered by a court to do so,” the appellate court said in its brief order.
• Federal appeals court temporarily paused part of lower court order on National Guard federalization in Chicago — A federal appeals court temporarily paused part of a lower judge's order prohibiting the Trump administration from federalizing National Guard troops in Chicago, but left in place a block on their active deployment in the city. The court wrote that troops "do not need to return to their home states unless further ordered by a court to do so," allowing a partial continuation of the federalization process while maintaining restrictions on active deployment.
• A federal appeals court blocked deployment of National Guard troops in Chicago. — The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals on Saturday blocked the deployment of National Guard troops in the Chicago area in response to protests at Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities. The court upheld a ruling from U.S. District Judge April Perry earlier in the week denying the White House's request to deploy National Guard troops on the streets of Chicago. The Trump administration had vowed to crack down on the protests, but the court found the deployment request lacked legal justification.
• Federal appeals court halts national guard deployment in Illinois while allowing troops to remain — An appeals court ruled Saturday that national guard troops sent by Trump to Illinois may remain in the state under federal control but cannot be deployed, pausing the case pending further arguments. This followed federal judge April Perry's Thursday ruling temporarily blocking the deployment for two weeks, finding no evidence of "danger of rebellion" in Illinois. The decision upholds constitutional protections against military involvement in domestic policing and state sovereignty under the 10th and 14th Amendments.
• Federal court blocks National Guard deployment to Illinois — A federal court ruling this week prevented the Trump administration from deploying federalized National Guard troops to Chicago, despite the administration's push to use military forces for immigration enforcement. The deployment was opposed by Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, who argued it violated state sovereignty and was unnecessary.
• Case update — Illinois v. Trump (N.D. Ill.) 1:25-cv-12174 — The Seventh Circuit issued a per curiam opinion denying the administration's request to stay a district court order that blocked deployment of the Illinois National Guard under 10 U.S.C. § 12406. The court agreed with the lower court that the President's Oct. 4 federalization order , issued to suppress protests against “Operation Midway Blitz,” lacked statutory justification finding that the demonstrations at an ICE facility in Broadview, Illinois, did not constitute a “rebellion or danger of rebellion” nor did they show the President was “unable with the regular forces to execute the laws.” The panel rejected the claim of unreviewable presidential discretion and found the administration unlikely to prevail under § 12406 or the Tenth Amendment. While allowing Guard troops to remain temporarily under federal control, the court kept in force the injunction barring their deployment in Illinois pending appeal.

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• Trump administration fires 100+ immigration judges and recruits military lawyers to replace them — The Trump administration has fired more than 100 immigration judges since taking office, including roughly one-third of judges in San Francisco's major immigration court. In late August, the administration scrapped the rule requiring temporary immigration judges to have spent a decade practicing immigration law before qualifying for the bench, then cleared 600 military lawyers to fill vacant judge seats. This action has thrown already backlogged courts into chaos, with a 3.6 million case backlog.

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• Trump fires federal prosecutor who declined to prosecute Comey — Trump fired federal prosecutor Erik Siebert after Siebert declined to bring charges against former FBI director James Comey. Trump then appointed Lindsey Halligan, a White House aide with no prosecutorial experience, to pursue the case instead. This action demonstrates selective removal of prosecutors based on their willingness to prosecute the president's political opponents.
• Trump indicts former FBI director James Comey on charges of lying to Congress — Former FBI director James Comey was indicted on charges of allegedly lying to Congress. The indictment was brought by a Trump-appointed U.S. attorney, Lindsey Halligan, after Trump fired the previous federal prosecutor, Erik Siebert, when he declined to bring charges. Ex-Trump lawyer Ty Cobb characterized the indictment as part of a "concerted effort" to "rewrite history" and criticized it as "wholly unconstitutional [and] authoritarian," noting the grand jury approved only two counts by a slim 14-23 margin.
• DOJ indicted former FBI Director James Comey — The Department of Justice indicted former FBI Director James Comey. Fox legal analyst Andy McCarthy stated the indictment "doesn't give you notice of what Comey has actually done" and "factually there's nothing there," characterizing it as "lawfare" designed to put Comey through the legal process. Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe stated that DOJ never contacted him for an interview before the indictment despite his interactions with Comey potentially being central to the prosecution.

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• Supreme Court Grants Stay in Trump v. Slaughter — The Supreme Court granted the federal government's request for a stay in the case of Trump v. Slaughter. This decision temporarily halts the reinstatement of Rebecca Slaughter, a former Federal Trade Commission commissioner, who was previously ordered by a lower court to be reinstated after being terminated. The stay was granted in a 6-3 decision, with Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissenting. This order allows the federal government to maintain the status quo while the case continues through the appeals process.
• Supreme Court allows Trump to fire FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter — The Supreme Court ruled that Trump can move forward with firing Rebecca Slaughter, the last Democratic leader of the Federal Trade Commission, while the Court takes up her case. The justices will decide whether the president has the ability to fire heads of independent agencies, potentially overturning a 1935 landmark ruling that limited presidential removal power. Justice Elena Kagan wrote in dissent that the Court's majority has "handed full control of all those agencies to the president," who may remove "any member he wishes, for any reason or no reason at all."

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• US Supreme Court schedules oral arguments on Trump tariff legality — The US Supreme Court announced it will hear oral arguments on November 5, 2025, regarding the legality of President Trump's sweeping global tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). A federal appeals court had ruled in August that Trump overstepped his authority by using a law meant for emergencies to impose broad tariffs without congressional approval. The case was placed on a fast track. A Supreme Court defeat could halve the current average US effective tariff rate and force repayment of tens of billions in collected tariffs.

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• Supreme Court allows Slaughter firing to proceed pending appeal — The US Supreme Court issued an order allowing Trump's firing of FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter to take effect while the Court agreed to hear full arguments on the merits of the case. The order drew dissents from the three liberal justices, signaling deep disagreement over presidential removal power and independent agency protections.

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• Federal judges criticize Supreme Court's emergency docket handling in Trump cases — Lower court federal judges, in rare media interviews and court opinions, have publicly criticized the Supreme Court for overturning their rulings through brief, unsigned emergency orders without legal explanation. Judges across the ideological spectrum say the practice creates legal confusion, undermines public trust in the judiciary, and fails to defend lower courts against Trump's attacks on judicial integrity. The Supreme Court has sided with Trump on nearly every emergency application filed in his second term—over 20 in seven months—a record pace.

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• Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissents in NIH case, accusing majority of "Calvinball jurisprudence" — In dissent to the Supreme Court majority's decision allowing Trump to cancel NIH grants, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson accused her conservative colleagues of "Calvinball jurisprudence"—a reference to a fictional game with no fixed rules. Jackson wrote that the Court appears to operate under two rules: that there are no fixed rules, and that the Trump administration always wins. Jackson has previously denounced the Court's use of the shadow docket.

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• California governor files preliminary injunction to block extended national guard deployment — Following Judge Breyer's ruling, California Governor Gavin Newsom filed a preliminary injunction on September 2 seeking to block the Trump administration's extension of national guard troops' deployment in Los Angeles through the November election. Newsom argued there was no justification for continued military presence against communities. Approximately 300 troops remained deployed at the time, down from thousands sent in June.
• Federal judge rules Trump administration illegally deployed national guard in Los Angeles — Judge Charles Breyer of the U.S. District Court ruled that the Trump administration violated the Posse Comitatus Act (1878) by deploying thousands of national guard troops to accompany federal immigration agents on raids in Los Angeles in June 2025. The ruling, effective September 12, barred troops from conducting arrests, searches, crowd control, and other law-enforcement functions. California Governor Gavin Newsom had filed suit in June, arguing the deployment constituted militarization of domestic streets. The Trump administration vowed to appeal.
• Judge Breyer ruled Trump administration's use of military in Los Angeles violated Posse Comitatus Act — Judge Charles Breyer of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California ruled that Trump, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and the Department of Defense acted illegally when they deployed the Marines and National Guard in Los Angeles. The judge found that armed soldiers set up protective perimeters, traffic blockages, and engaged in crowd control, directly violating the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits the use of U.S. military to execute domestic law. The judge noted that 300 troops remain in Los Angeles and warned that Trump and Hegseth have stated their intention to deploy National Guard troops in other cities, "thus creating a national police force with the President as its chief." Breyer prohibited the defendants from deploying or using military or National Guard troops to execute laws and stayed the order until noon September 12 to allow appeal.
• Federal judge ruled Trump's LA military deployment violated Posse Comitatus Act — A federal judge ruled that Trump's deployment of the military to Los Angeles violated the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits the army from performing domestic law enforcement actions without authorization from Congress. While the judge noted that it's legal to deploy the officials to protect federal property, he said that Trump is using the military as a "national police force with the President as its chief."
• Judge Blocks Military Deployment for Law Enforcement in Los Angeles — On September 2, 2025, Judge Charles Breyer issued a ruling that prohibited the Trump administration from using military troops for law enforcement in Los Angeles, citing violations of the Posse Comitatus Act. The judge's order prevents the deployment of National Guard troops for domestic law enforcement activities, emphasizing the need to uphold legal boundaries between military and civilian roles.
• Judge Rules Against Trump's Use of Military for Domestic Law Enforcement — On September 2, 2025, Judge Charles Breyer ruled that President Trump, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and the Department of Defense acted illegally by deploying the Marines and National Guard in Los Angeles to enforce domestic law, violating the Posse Comitatus Act. The judge prohibited the use of military troops for law enforcement activities and warned against creating a national police force under presidential control.
• Judge rules Trump violated federal law in Los Angeles national guard deployment — A federal judge ruled on Tuesday that President Trump violated federal law when he deployed thousands of national guard troops to Los Angeles earlier in the summer during protests against ICE operations. The ruling represents a legal challenge to Trump's authority to unilaterally deploy military forces domestically without proper statutory authorization or state consent.
• Federal judge rules Trump's military deployment to Los Angeles unlawful — A federal judge found that Trump illegally deployed thousands of military troops to Los Angeles in June and barred the Pentagon from using National Guard and Marines for police functions such as arrests and crowd control. The order takes effect September 12. The ruling upheld California Governor Gavin Newsom's lawsuit challenging the deployment as a violation of the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits military use in domestic law enforcement.

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• Trump denounces Utah redistricting ruling as "absolutely unconstitutional" — On Wednesday night, President Trump posted on Truth Social attacking Judge Gibson's redistricting order, calling it "absolutely unconstitutional" and questioning how Utah—a state he won in every election—could have "so many Radical Left Judges." Trump urged Utah Republicans to "stay united" and keep the state's four Republican House members in place. Gibson was appointed to the district court in 2018 by Republican Governor Gary Herbert.

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• Federal appeals court rules most of Trump tariffs illegal under IEEPA — The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington DC ruled 7-4 on Friday that President Trump overstepped his constitutional authority by imposing most of his tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The court found the tariffs "unbounded in scope, amount and duration" and that IEEPA does not explicitly grant tariff-imposition power. The ruling does not take effect until 14 October, allowing time for appeal to the Supreme Court. Trump immediately disputed the decision on social media, claiming the tariffs remain in effect and accusing the court of political bias.
• Federal appeals court struck down Trump's emergency tariffs as illegal — A federal appeals court, by a 7–4 majority, upheld a May decision by a three-judge panel at the U.S. Court of International Trade striking down President Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs as illegal. The court ruled that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) has "meaningful limits" and that "an unlimited delegation of tariff authority would be unconstitutional." The court stated "Congress manifestly is not permitted to abdicate or to transfer to other the essential legislative functions with which it is thus vested." The decision concluded Congress did not give the President "wide-ranging authority to impose" sweeping tariffs, noting such authorization would mean "Congress had bestowed on a federal agency the taxing power," a "sharp break with our traditions." The decision will not take effect until October 14 to allow the administration to appeal to the Supreme Court.

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• Trump defied court ruling on tariffs and claimed they remain in effect — Shortly after the federal appeals court decision striking down his tariffs, Trump posted on social media claiming "ALL TARIFFS ARE STILL IN EFFECT" and calling the court's decision "Highly Partisan" and incorrect. Trump stated the United States would "win in the end" and that if the tariffs were removed it would be "a total disaster for the Country." Trump asserted that tariffs are "the best tool to help our Workers" and expressed confidence that "with the help of the United States Supreme Court, we will use them to the benefit of our Nation." Trump's statement represents a direct defiance of the court's ruling and an assertion that executive will supersedes judicial authority.

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• Federal judge orders Kari Lake to answer questions — A federal judge ordered senior adviser to the US Agency for Global Media Kari Lake to answer questions under oath about her efforts to effectively dismantle Voice of America (VOA), giving her "one final opportunity, short of a contempt trial, to provide such explanation" after failing to comply with orders seeking information about whether the Trump administration violated an April ruling to restore VOA programming.
• Federal judge ordered Kari Lake to submit to questioning on Voice of America — U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ordered Trump administration official Kari Lake to submit to questioning under oath regarding her efforts to dismantle Voice of America despite Congressional mandates that it be maintained. Judge Lamberth stated Lake was "verging on contempt of court" for failing to comply with repeated orders to make information available about her intentions for Voice of America and its federal parent, the U.S. Agency for Global Media. Lake and two aides were ordered to testify by September 15 and provide detailed information previously withheld about Voice of America. Lake responded by claiming district court judges are overstepping their authority.
• Federal judge blocks removal of VOA director and orders compliance demonstration — US District Judge Royce Lamberth ruled that Kari Lake cannot remove Michael Abramowitz as VOA director without approval from the International Broadcasting Advisory Board, finding such removal would be "plainly contrary to law." Lamberth also ruled separately that the Trump administration had failed to demonstrate compliance with his prior orders to restore VOA operations, giving the administration "one final opportunity, short of a contempt trial" and ordering Lake to sit for deposition by 15 September.

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• Trump attacks blue slip Senate confirmation practice — Trump ranted against the "blue slip" policy, which allows home state senators to effectively veto the president's nominees for their state, calling it an "old and outdated 'custom'" that Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley "refuses to overturn." Grassley pushed back, defending the practice as setting nominees up for success.
• Trump attacked blue slip tradition and demanded Senate Judiciary Committee override it — Trump posted on social media that the blue slip tradition—which allows senators to block federal judicial and U.S. attorney appointments in their home states—has prevented him from appointing judges he wants. He demanded that Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley override the practice and allow Republican candidates to advance, claiming the only candidates he can get confirmed are Democrats.
• Trump attacked blue-slip tradition for judicial appointments — Trump posted on social media that the tradition of blue slips—which allows senators to block federal judge and U.S. attorney appointments in their home states—has prevented him from appointing judges he wants. Trump claimed the only candidates he can get confirmed are Democrats and demanded that Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley override the blue-slip process to allow "strong Republican candidates" to ascend to these positions.

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• Federal judge blocks Trump administration from defunding 34 sanctuary cities and counties — US District Judge William Orrick issued an order on Friday blocking the Trump administration from cutting federal funding to 34 "sanctuary cities" and counties that limit cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The ruling expands a previous April decision finding the administration's funding freeze unconstitutional. Cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Baltimore, Denver, and Albuquerque are now protected from defunding. The administration had signed executive orders in January and February threatening to withhold funds from Democratic-led cities refusing to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.

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• Federal judge rules Trump-appointed US attorney unlawfully serving without Senate confirmation — Chief US District Judge Matthew Brann ruled that Alina Habba, Trump's former lawyer appointed as interim US attorney for New Jersey in March 2025, has been unlawfully serving in the role. The judge found that her four-month temporary appointment ended in July and that the Trump administration's legal maneuvers to retain her without Senate confirmation violated federal law. Brann disqualified Habba from prosecuting three defendants who challenged her appointment and placed his order on hold pending appeal.
• Federal judge rules Alina Habba illegally serving as acting US attorney for New Jersey — District Judge Matthew Brann ruled that Alina Habba is not lawfully performing the functions and duties of the office of US Attorney for New Jersey and must be disqualified from participating in any ongoing cases. The judge concluded she is not currently qualified to exercise the functions and duties of the office in an acting capacity, effectively removing her from the role.

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• Attorney General Bondi retaliates by firing career prosecutor and reinstalling Habba as acting US attorney — After federal judges in New Jersey exercised their statutory power to replace Alina Habba with a career prosecutor when her temporary appointment lapsed in late July 2025, Attorney General Pam Bondi retaliated by firing that prosecutor and moved to reinstall Habba as acting US attorney. This action directly contradicted the judicial order and the statutory succession mechanism designed to fill the vacancy.

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• Emil Bove confirmed to federal appeals court by US Senate — The Senate confirmed Emil Bove, a former Trump defense attorney and top DOJ official, to a lifetime seat on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals by a 50-49 vote. The confirmation proceeded despite whistleblower allegations that Bove advocated for ignoring court orders, misled Congress about dropping corruption charges against NYC Mayor Eric Adams, and participated in firing prosecutors who worked January 6 cases. All Democrats and two Republicans opposed the nomination.
• Senate confirmed Emil Bove as federal appeals court judge — The Republican-controlled Senate narrowly confirmed former Trump lawyer Emil Bove for a lifetime appointment as a federal appeals court judge, despite whistleblower allegations and widespread concerns over his fitness for office, including from over 900 former DOJ attorneys who penned a letter opposing his appointment.
• Senate confirms Emil Bove to federal judgeship despite whistleblower allegations — The Senate confirmed Emil Bove to a federal judgeship on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals with 50 Republicans voting in favor and 47 Democrats voting against. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) joined Democrats in opposition, with Murkowski stating that someone who counseled attorneys to ignore court orders should not receive a lifetime seat on the bench. Republican Thom Tillis (R-NC) voted in favor, illustrating Republican enablement of the administration's assault on the rule of law.
• Emil Bove confirmed to US Court of Appeals for Third Circuit on 50-49 Senate vote — The Republican-controlled Senate confirmed Emil Bove to a lifetime appointment on the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit on a 50-49 vote, despite opposition from over 80 retired judges and three whistleblowers alleging serious ethical violations. Bove, who served as acting deputy attorney general, faced allegations of disregarding court orders, firing prosecutors for political reasons, and pressuring DOJ lawyers to defy judicial rulings. The Senate Judiciary Committee chair dismissed whistleblower concerns as "delay-and-obstruction tactics" without substantive investigation.

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• Attorney General Bondi proposes removal of DOJ Public Integrity Section oversight — Attorney General Pam Bondi introduced a proposal in 2025 that removes the DOJ's Public Integrity Section from the approval process for cases against public officials and political candidates. The change gives presidentially appointed U.S. attorneys greater authority to pursue prosecutions of lawmakers without the oversight historically exercised by the Public Integrity Section. This structural change facilitates the targeting of political opponents without institutional checks.
• Interim U.S. Attorney Martin seeks grand jury investigation of Senator Chuck Schumer — Ed Martin, Trump's first pick for interim U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., sought a grand jury investigation into Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for saying that Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch would "pay the price" for ruling against abortion rights. Martin's efforts were rebuffed by the DOJ's Public Integrity Section, which exercises oversight in cases against public officials. A proposal by Attorney General Pam Bondi earlier in 2025 cut the Public Integrity Section out of the approval process, giving presidentially appointed U.S. attorneys more authority to pursue lawmaker prosecutions.