How Trump Can Navigate the Judiciary's Assault on His Agenda
A constitutional crisis may be brewing as federal judges restrain the power of the presidency.
Anthony Constantini
March 21, 2025
What’s happening
Federal district judges, who comprise the lowest “rung” of the judicial ladder, have issued temporary injunctions against President Donald Trump’s agenda at a record pace.
District court judges have blocked Trump’s attempt to cancel $20 billion in “green bank” grants, his ban on transgender-identifying troops in the military, and more. Even his ban on federal support for DEI initiatives — something transparently within the power of the presidency — was blocked before an appeals court reversed it.
One judge has blocked Trump’s attempt at dismantling USAID. Most notably, a judge ordered the Trump administration to turn around planes carrying deported Venezuelan suspected gang members; the administration refused, arguing the order did not apply due to the planes already being over international waters.
Temporary injunctions are just that — temporary until the case is resolved — but they can stall a president’s administration for years as they work their way through the courts. Trump’s term could be nearly elapsed before some are resolved.