As Trump Pushes Legal Boundaries, Judges Hold the Line

U.S. President Donald Trump's furious pace of orders slashing foreign aid, sending troops to the border and pardoning violent criminals has met little resistance in Congress. Federal judges are delivering the strongest signal yet of a looming showdown -- with the rule of law.

On Saturday, a federal judge in Manhattan temporarily blocked Elon Musk and his DOGE government efficiency team from Treasury Department systems that process trillions of dollars of payments. In recent days, judges have also temporarily prevented administration policies from freezing billions of dollars in federal grants, dismantling America's foreign aid agency, altering transgender rules and adopting a plan to buy out thousands of federal workers.

U.S. District Judge John Coughenour in Seattle delivered a forceful message at a Thursday hearing that Trump must respect the rule of law as he temporarily blocked one of Trump's most controversial policies, ending birthright citizenship.

"There are moments in the world’s history where people look back and ask, 'Where were the lawyers? Where were the judges?' In these moments, the rule of law becomes especially vulnerable," said the judge, who was nominated by Republican former President Ronald Reagan. Applause broke out in his courtroom.