Category: Defy Judiciary

Trump administration openly defying the court

Trump Appointees Dismantle Historic Preservation Rules

Trump’s appointees at the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation are moving to dismantle Section 106 regulations, a foundational federal rule protecting historic sites, to expedite construction of a 250-foot “Triumphal Arch” near Arlington National Cemetery. According to The Atlantic, the proposed amendments would grant federal agencies broader discretion to override preservation standards, prioritize damage mitigation over preventing harm to historic places, and eliminate requirements to evaluate alternative designs or locations before proceeding with projects.

Vice Chair Travis Voyles instructed council members to vote on the revisions by July 17, with at least seven of 24 members appointed by Trump. The arch, estimated to cost $100 million and featuring a golden winged figure flanked by gilded eagles, would require 20-hour construction workdays over two to three years. The National Capital Planning Commission, chaired by Trump appointee William Scharf, has already voted to advance the project, bringing it closer to breaking ground despite Trump’s rejection of the need for congressional approval.

Three Vietnam War veterans filed suit in February to block the arch’s construction, contesting whether Trump obtained proper authorization. Commission staff acknowledged significant gaps in the project plan requiring additional details before final approval, yet the administration has continued advancing it without addressing those deficiencies.

A Washington Post/ABC News/Ipsos poll from April found 52 percent of Americans opposed the arch compared to 21 percent in favor, yet Trump administration officials maintain they are “following all legal requirements.” The administration’s pattern of bypassing competitive bidding for rush projects has extended to recent contracts, including a $5 million no-bid agreement to gild statues near the Lincoln Memorial.

Trump’s Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation, which ballooned from $1.8 million to $13.1 million, developed algae problems shortly after completion, exemplifying the administration’s hasty approach to federal monument projects. The arch represents another instance of the administration weaponizing federal agencies stacked with loyal appointees to bypass regulatory oversight and democratic process.



(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-arch-washington-historic-preservation-council-b3018493.html)

Markwayne Mullin Threatens ‘Prison Time’ For State Officials

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin threatened criminal penalties including “prison time” against state election officials who decline to participate in the Trump administration’s SAVE program (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements). During a Friday press conference, Mullin stated that non-compliant state officials could face fines, penalties, and imprisonment if they refuse to implement the program after receiving federal guidance on election security.

The SAVE program is tied to the SAVE America Act that Trump has pressured Republicans to advance, despite Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s statement that insufficient support exists to pass it. Mullin’s threats follow Trump’s Thursday primetime address, in which he selectively cited documents his aides published online to insinuate that U.S. elections have been compromised for years and that officials suppressed evidence, according to The New York Times.

Mullin framed state participation as mandatory for election security, declaring that states choosing non-participation would become priority targets for federal scrutiny of voter rolls. He linked cooperation with the SAVE program directly to accountability measures, warning that election officials who received federal information but refused implementation would face legal consequences.

The Trump administration published a web page Friday outlining its “election integrity” stance, incorporating Trump’s election vulnerability claims. The threats represent an escalation in federal pressure on state officials over election administration, a function traditionally managed by states under the U.S. Constitution.

The statement came during a conservative Daily Caller reporter’s question about securing midterm elections, with Mullin framing federal coercion as necessary for building public confidence. By conditioning cooperation on penalty avoidance, the administration weaponized federal authority against state officials exercising their constitutional election management responsibilities.



(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/just-in-mullin-threatens-prison-time-for-state-officials-not-cooperating-with-trump-admin-on-elections/)stration weaponized federal authority against state officials exercising their constitutional election management responsibilities.

Trump Demands NBC ABC License Revocation Over Primetime Speech

Donald Trump demanded that NBC and ABC have their broadcast licenses revoked for declining to air his Thursday night primetime address on their primary television channels, falsely characterizing the networks’ editorial decision as part of a “plot” to hide information from the public. Both networks carried the speech live on their streaming platforms (NBC News NOW and ABC News Live) and aired detailed summaries after Trump concluded, but Trump attacked them anyway for not broadcasting it on their main channels, stating that “fraud like this should mean a revocation of their licenses.” White House communications director Steven Cheung amplified the demand, calling the networks “cowards” on social media.

Trump’s attack on broadcast licenses represents an escalation of his systematic pressure on media outlets through regulatory threats. Trump has previously weaponized FCC regulatory power against late-night hosts, calling for their termination and celebrating their departures, while FCC Chair Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, has threatened broadcasters’ licenses in response to presidential complaints about coverage. Carr is currently investigating whether ABC’s talk show The View qualifies as a “bona fide news program” under equal time rules, using regulatory authority to punish editorial independence.

In the 23-minute address, Trump made unsubstantiated claims about election security, alleging without evidence that China conducted “the largest compromise of election data in history” and that American elections remain vulnerable to foreign interference. He accused unnamed national security officials of concealing information about election security while offering no documentation to support these assertions. Much of the “stolen” election data Trump referenced is publicly available for commercial purchase by political campaigns, undermining his claims of a security breach.

CNN declined to air the speech live, with anchor Kaitlan Collins stating the network would “monitor” Trump’s remarks to fact-check statements given his “well-documented history of saying blatantly false things about elections,” while Fox News broadcast the full address. Trump’s demand for license revocation targets networks that exercised editorial judgment about primetime coverage, using the presidency to punish outlets for decisions that displeased him and demonstrating contempt for the independence of broadcast journalism.



(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-election-fraud-address-nbc-abc-licence-b3016842.html)

Trump Rushed Kennedy Center Renovations for FIFA Ceremony

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse disclosed whistleblower allegations that the Kennedy Center accelerated renovations with disregard for federal contracting standards to prepare for Trump’s December 2025 FIFA “peace prize” ceremony. Multiple former project managers documented rushed work, including an $8 million no-bid flooring contract awarded to a firm lacking concert-hall experience, corner-cutting that left steel columns rusting and a reflecting pool already deteriorating, and the demolition of a brand-new bathroom floor because Trump objected to its color.

The Kennedy Center rewrote its own contracting rules retrospectively to justify the no-bid awards, according to whistleblower disclosures submitted through the Government Accountability Project. Trump’s preferred contractor cut corners on repainting the center’s columns, leaving taxpayers responsible for repairs. Whitehouse characterized the work as driven by Trump’s aesthetic preferences rather than the building’s actual maintenance needs, describing the facility’s transformation into a personal renovation project rather than stewardship of a national memorial.

The center received $257 million from Congress for repairs and restoration, yet whistleblowers documented that rushed cosmetic work prioritized televised events in December over legitimate building preservation. The reflecting pool revamp is already rusting and peeling and will require complete reconstruction. Representative Rick Larsen, the senior Democrat on the House infrastructure committee, called the allegations serious and expressed concern that approved federal funds were diverted to temporary cosmetic fixes instead of durable, necessary repairs.

The Kennedy Center claimed in a statement that it operates with rigorous financial oversight and that whistleblower assertions about bypassed contracting standards were incorrect, emphasizing commitment to responsible stewardship. The White House responded by blaming previous Democratic leadership for allowing the center to deteriorate and credited Trump with providing “bold leadership and proper resources” to restore the facility, a characterization contradicted by whistleblower documentation of hastily executed, substandard work prioritizing Trump’s personal preferences over institutional integrity.

Whitehouse requested documents and answers from the Kennedy Center’s executive director by July 23. The allegations expose how Trump’s administration subordinated federal procurement standards and institutional accountability to serve the President’s demand for a visually impressive venue for his December events, similar to prior no-bid contracts for gilding statues and court battles over Trump’s name on the Kennedy Center.



(Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/11/trump-kennedy-center-renovations-whistleblowers?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=fb_us&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwdGRjcATAevNwZG9mA2ZkaWQWUKYiNODhW95UC_hl8jPYLSjXsM3cHGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR7aC5SJbx88IIvHH-f68kmhFbzdYEeAYiviNm5AHVOQSiBU-7k98aGx-Vgz1w_aem_2d5c2v98ms2nkNujtGXHcA#Echobox=1783794823)

FCC Investigation Halts View Political Candidate Bookings

The Federal Communications Commission under Chairman Brendan Carr launched an investigation in February into whether ABC’s daytime talk show “The View” violated the “equal time” rule, a 1930s regulation requiring broadcast programs to provide equal airtime to opposing candidates when featuring political candidates for public office. The mere threat of regulatory action has proven sufficient to alter the show’s editorial decisions without any formal FCC demands or rulings.

Since Carr’s announcement, “The View” has not booked a single political candidate running in a competitive midterm race, marking a dramatic shift from the program’s decades-long role as a premier campaign stop. The show recently rebuffed invitations for Democratic congressional nominees Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez, citing caution regarding the ongoing FCC inquiry as one reason among others. While ABC’s spokesperson claims the show qualifies as a “bona fide news program” exempt from equal time rules, the network has chosen to restrict candidate appearances regardless of that legal argument.

Carr’s aggressive regulatory posture extends beyond “The View,” with his threats influencing which candidates appear on late-night talk shows across CBS, NBC, and ABC. A San Francisco radio station similarly curtailed political coverage after facing FCC scrutiny for reporting on immigration enforcement operations, demoting an anchor and discouraging reporters from pursuing stories that might attract regulatory attention. Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez denounced the agency’s conduct as a “censorship and control campaign” designed to alter media behavior through fear rather than formal rulemaking, noting that broadcasters are instructing staff to avoid triggering FCC action.

The regulatory pressure has complicated Democratic campaign access to traditional media during a critical election cycle. Multiple Democratic officials privately expressed concern that Carr’s equal time push will disadvantage their party in midterm races where Democratic candidates have historically relied on daytime television appearances. Meanwhile, tensions within the left flank emerged after host Sara Haines made inflammatory remarks about Democratic socialist candidate Avila Chevalier, prompting angry responses from allied figures questioning whether such candidates would receive future airtime on the platform.

ABC has taken the unusual step of enlisting viewers to pressure the FCC to drop its investigation, while legal experts remain skeptical of Carr’s recent attempts to expand agency oversight into streaming platforms and digital media. Despite threats that ABC could face regulatory consequences, the network ultimately opted to fight the FCC inquiry into “The View” rather than accept demands, though editorial caution has already taken hold regardless of the legal outcome.



(Source: https://www.semafor.com/article/07/05/2026/the-view-throttles-back-political-candidate-bookings-following-fcc-inquiry)

Supreme Court Lets Border Agents Strip Green Cards Without Proof

The Supreme Court’s conservative majority, led by Justice Clarence Thomas, ruled 6-3 that border officers may deny reentry to green card holders based on unproven criminal allegations without requiring “clear and convincing evidence” of actual wrongdoing. The decision strips lawful permanent residents of foundational due process protections and empowers border agents to treat returning green card holders as “applicants for admission” vulnerable to detention and removal on mere suspicion, even if convictions occur only after their return or result in acquittal.

The case involved Muk Choi Lau, a Chinese national and lawful permanent resident since 2007, who was arrested in 2012 for allegedly selling counterfeit goods and briefly left the U.S. Upon return, immigration officers declared him inadmissible based on pending charges. A federal appeals court had previously required “clear and convincing evidence” of an actual crime before changing his status, but the Supreme Court overturned that protection Tuesday. Lau ultimately pleaded guilty in 2013 and was ordered removed, but the ruling’s scope extends far beyond his case.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s dissent condemned the majority for handing the government a “massive blank check” to rewrite immigration law and circumvent statutory protections. She warned that green card holders face potential years in legal limbo or detention even if later acquitted, as the sequencing of charging before conviction or conviction before hearing fundamentally contradicts the plain terms of immigration statutes. The ruling violates the rights of lawful permanent residents who have already cleared security vetting to establish their status.

This decision amplifies the Trump administration’s coordinated assault on legal immigration pathways, executed by Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and immigration officials who have transformed agencies into loyalty enforcement arms of the mass deportation campaign. A federal judge recently found that USCIS policies unlawfully discriminated against asylum seekers, green card applicants, and citizenship candidates “solely by the happenstance of their birth,” using purported national security concerns that “mask anti-immigrant sentiments” to justify sweeping removal actions leaving thousands in legal limbo.

Concurrent efforts target additional legal immigration protections, including attempts to strip Temporary Protected Status from over one million immigrants and accelerated citizenship revocation proceedings against naturalized Americans. The administration also unlawfully terminated status for tens of thousands who used a Biden-era appointment app at the U.S.-Mexico border, a determination a federal judge made earlier this year. Combined with Tuesday’s Supreme Court green card ruling, these actions dismantle legal immigration infrastructure while operating under false claims that enforcement targets only the “worst of the worst.”



(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/supreme-court-green-card-immigration-ruling-b3005036.html)

Trump White House Secretly Pressured Board Protecting Federal Workers

The Trump administration orchestrated a covert pressure campaign on the Merit Systems Protection Board, a federal agency designed to shield civil service employees from arbitrary dismissal, resulting in a March ruling that dismantled decades of precedent protecting federal workers. The board's decision accepted the White House's constitutional theory that President Trump possesses sweeping authority to remove officials without due process, effectively erasing civil service protections for federal employees, including immigration judges whose legal duties often conflict with Trump's political objectives. This ruling represents a deliberate dismantling of the most effective mechanism federal workers possess to contest wrongful termination.

The pressure campaign, led by a White House aide dedicated to expediting federal worker terminations, operated through both public and private channels in ways that parallel direct judicial coercion. By compelling the board to abandon established legal standards, the Trump administration weaponized a protective agency into a tool for authoritarian control over the federal workforce. The board's reversal of longstanding doctrine signals the administration's systematic effort to consolidate executive power and eliminate institutional checks on presidential authority.

This decision implements the "unitary executive" theory, a cornerstone of Trump's governing philosophy that concentrates all executive branch power in the presidency, allowing Trump to direct federal prosecutors, immigration judges, and other officials whose professional independence once constrained his political agenda. The administration has already moved to measure HHS employees' performance based on demonstrable loyalty to Trump's policies, illustrating the practical application of this authority. The ruling defangs the primary legal recourse available to federal workers challenging unlawful dismissals.

Though the board's decision does not directly affect pending Supreme Court cases on presidential power over the civil service, its precedent could devastate protections for vast segments of the federal workforce if upheld on appeal. The timing and methodology of this ruling reveal the administration's calculated assault on institutional independence, transforming independent agencies into compliance mechanisms for Trump's consolidation of power.

(Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/28/us/politics/trump-firings-workers-merit-systems-protection-board.html)

Trump Defies Judge’s Warning to Begin Golf Course

President Donald Trump announced on June 28 that work will begin September 1 on renovating the public East Potomac Golf Course despite a federal judge explicitly warning of “serious consequences” if the administration proceeds with major work without prior court approval and notification. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes stated: “I do not want a situation where something has happened and then I’m being told by the government or by a foundation or by a bulldozing company that it’s too late to do anything about it.”

Trump toured the golf course alongside Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and golf architect Tom Fazio, describing the project as a public-private partnership that will create “one of the Greatest Golf Courses anywhere in the World” capable of hosting major tournaments including the U.S. Open and Ryder Cup. The administration terminated the previous operator’s lease, National Links Trust, in December citing maintenance failures, though the nonprofit disputes those claims and was permitted to continue operating under a May agreement while Trump’s renovation plans advance.

The D.C. Preservation League warned the course would be “razed” before legal challenges could prevent it, citing the rapid demolition of the White House’s East Wing. This follows Trump’s pattern of moving forward with projects despite judicial restraint, including his 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery that prompted a veterans’ lawsuit and his addition of his name to the Kennedy Center before a judge ordered its removal.

Trump also claimed vandals caused algae blooms and liner damage at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, describing the vandals as “Criminal, Radical Left” individuals without evidence. He stated the $16 million pool renovation is now in “full use” and promised additional treatment after July 4 to restore it to “perfect shape.”



(Source: https://abcnews.com/Politics/trump-work-begin-dc-golf-despite-judges-warning/story?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=dhfacebook&utm_content=app.dashsocial.com/abcnews/library/media/690486707&id=134293591&fbclid=IwVERDUASutIJwZG9mA2ZkaWQWUJkhPhw7MgNMqb6g9axbZGLPouEvK2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR7grCkKIcjfqOt3wEYrxm4M9uG1DPmqyEKDaLjhsw9KIo3aIEojm7_S-B58dg_aem_3syqiwivXYdmw1FAVkwNow)to “perfect shape.”

Trump Defies Congress And Blocks Humdreds of Millions For Foreign Aid

The Trump administration is systematically defying congressional mandates on foreign aid spending, blocking $500 million in global health funds and delaying humanitarian assistance despite President Trump signing legislation that explicitly required these expenditures. Russell Vought's Office of Management and Budget has labeled funds as "unallocated" to maintain control over spending, a tactic legal scholars say violates the Impoundment Control Act and undermines Congress's constitutional power of the purse.

Eight months into the fiscal year, the State Department has obligated only $190 million of the $9.4 billion Congress directed for global health, representing just 5% of typical spending levels for the same period. Programs explicitly funded by Congress for family planning ($524 million), nutrition ($165 million), and neglected tropical diseases ($109 million) have seen little or no implementation, while PEPFAR, the HIV/AIDS program credited with saving 26 million lives globally, has been restricted to half its available budget despite congressional appropriation of $4.6 billion.

Jeremy Lewin, a 29-year-old lawyer with no prior humanitarian experience who arrived via Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, controls foreign aid policy as an unconfirmed acting undersecretary. Lewin refuses to meet with career staff, withholds information about implementation plans, and demands personal approval for routine payments, creating a bottleneck that has left Congress unable to obtain basic answers about administration spending despite repeated requests for required reports and briefings.

The administration's defiance mirrors its 2025 use of "pocket rescissions," an illegal maneuver under the Impoundment Control Act that clawed back $13 billion in foreign aid Congress had approved. Though a federal court initially blocked the tactic, the Supreme Court issued an emergency ideological split decision allowing it to continue without ruling on its legality. Constitutional scholars and legal experts warn that continued withholding of appropriated funds constitutes a fundamental assault on the separation of powers, threatening U.S. democracy itself.

The State Department has denied withholding funds while simultaneously announcing bilateral deals requiring recipient nations to provide health data as a condition for receiving medications the United States previously donated. Additionally, the administration funneled $3.8 billion to a small U.N. office without allowing independent U.S. audits, and has delayed $661 million in required contributions to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, forcing the organization to reduce support to nations that depend on American funding for lifesaving treatments.

(Source: https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-defying-congress-foreign-aid-usaid-vought-rubio-constitutional-crisis?utm_campaign=propublica-sprout&utm_content=1782567906&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwdGRleASs8iRwZG9mA2ZkaWQWUJdPWI_QwoRxn6jpTg7VaYtDYAhPDmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR5zL9Tu-THjlQ6p44jYmgmO5iK178eT2QOztVFD-z51WyPduid3hOBL41yaDA_aem_pkPqY5Bc-FMN9QGc-i5Kdw)

DOJ Defies Judge’s Oath Demand on Trump Weaponization Fund

The Justice Department defied a federal judge’s order on Friday by refusing to swear under oath that Trump’s nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” is dead. Judge Leonie Brinkema had given the administration a seven-day deadline to declare, under penalty of perjury, that the fund would not proceed. Instead, DOJ attorneys claimed the oath requirement violated “separation of powers,” rejecting the judge’s explicit demand.

The fund, announced in May by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche following a Trump-IRS settlement, was designed to compensate individuals claiming “weaponization and lawfare” by the federal government. Lawmakers and watchdogs immediately flagged that the $1.776 billion would likely flow to Trump’s political allies and supporters, with no genuine safeguards against partisan abuse. After public backlash, Blanche told House lawmakers in June the fund was “not moving forward, ever,” yet the administration has continued to dodge court accountability through written oath.

Democracy Forward, representing plaintiffs challenging the fund, characterized the DOJ’s filing as proof of evasion. “It is telling that even after the federal court gave them a week, the Acting Attorney General and other senior administration officials continue to refuse to say under oath that the Slush Fund is dead,” said Skye Perryman, president and CEO of the organization. The DOJ’s refusal to commit in writing contradicts its public assurances and signals the fund’s legal status remains unresolved despite official denials.

DOJ counsel Andrew Block argued that prior statements by administration officials, made “against the backdrop of serious penalties for falsity,” should satisfy the court without formal sworn declarations. However, his assertion that penalties alone substitute for testimony under oath undercuts the judicial authority to enforce compliance and verify executive accountability. Trump previously attacked media coverage of his abandoned anti-weaponization fund during an Oval Office press session, indicating the administration’s sensitivity to scrutiny of the scheme.

Federal courts were closed Friday for Juneteenth, with Judge Brinkema unlikely to respond before Monday. The administration’s defiance of the judge’s direct order exemplifies Trump’s broader pattern of disregarding judicial oversight and refusing transparent accountability for executive action, particularly regarding funds that would have redistributed billions toward his political base.



(Source: https://thehill.com/homenews/5932296-doj-snubs-judge-weaponization-fund/?fbclid=IwdGRleASjHeNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEe0RHlZAtCTd-K1VzzDlsNgkPiPV2ofZ6eegFe9bcVc_HCWwpiOljhMudJL5w_aem_qnM_3Nm8oGzpkfnt_vuGDw)

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