Latest news with #BrettShumate
Wall Street Journal
a day ago
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
Trump Administration Fights Order Blocking California National Guard Deployments
A Trump administration lawyer told a federal appeals court Tuesday that judges have no power to review the president's decision to federalize the California National Guard over Gov. Gavin Newsom's objection, and asked it to throw out an order requiring Trump to return command of those troops to the governor. The district court's order 'upends the military chain of command. It gives state governors veto power over the president's military orders,' Justice Department lawyer Brett Shumate told the three-judge panel during the hearing. Conditions in Los Angeles, where protests against Trump's aggressive deportation policy have at times turned violent, amount to 'rebellion against the authority of the United States,' he said.
Fox News
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Trump appointee vows to focus DOJ's largest division on DEI, denaturalization
FIRST ON FOX: The newly confirmed head of the Department of Justice's Civil Division sent out a memo hours after being sworn in on Wednesday in which he directed staff to focus on a slate of conservative priorities, including rooting out antisemitism and diversity, equity and inclusion. Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate's internal memo, first obtained by Fox News Digital, also directed attorneys in the DOJ's largest division to prioritize investigations and legal action that involved tightening restrictions on transgender medical care and denaturalizing citizens who "illegally procured" naturalization. In addition to initiating lawsuits, the Civil Division is primarily tasked with defending the government in court in non-criminal matters, which includes the hundreds of lawsuits President Donald Trump and his administration have been hit with as Trump carries out executive actions that test the limits of presidential authority. Civil Division attorneys from the Federal Programs Bench have been fighting court battles on behalf of Trump related to his sweeping tariffs, birthright citizenship, activities by the Department of Government Efficiency, and, most recently, his use of the National Guard in California. Shumate was confirmed by the Senate on Monday along party lines. The Civil Division head was seen during the confirmation as a Trump loyalist who previously worked as a partner at Jones Day, a Washington-based firm that has represented Trump during his campaigns. Shumate was a top official in the Civil Division for two years during the first Trump administration. Shumate's memo suggests he kicked off his first day in office by setting a tone for his wealth of attorneys that aligned with President Donald Trump's and Attorney General Pam Bondi's agendas. In an unusual move, the division will coordinate with the Civil Rights Division on its anti-DEI efforts. Trump has frequently described DEI as discriminatory. "Consistent with these directives, the Civil Division will use all available resources to pursue affirmative litigation combatting unlawful discriminatory practices in the private sector," Shumate wrote. This is a developing story. Check back for details.
South China Morning Post
26-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Will Trump's high-stakes tariff gamble pay off?
Over the past two weeks, the New York-based Court of International Trade has held its first oral arguments in lawsuits challenging US President Donald Trump's 'Liberation Day' tariffs and the administration's authority to impose the kind of levies previously placed on China, Canada and Mexico over the US' deadly fentanyl crisis. Advertisement A group of small American businesses and 12 states have argued in separate but similar cases that Trump's use of emergency executive powers to impose tariffs exceeds his authority. The Trump administration countered that a legal defeat would 'completely kneecap' the president amid ongoing trade negotiations with major partners, including China. Brett Shumate, representing the administration, told a three-judge panel last week that the tariffs were designed to 'create pressure' and 'bring trading partners to the table'. He warned that any injunction suspending the tariffs would be 'extremely disruptive', describing Trump as 'in the middle of foreign negotiations with other countries about trade deficits and about the fentanyl crisis'. In April, Trump claimed he could secure more than 50 trade deals within 90 days. But nearly two months later, progress remains limited. The US has announced only one agreement, with Britain, while negotiations with other partners have stalled or remain unclear. To maintain negotiating leverage, Washington must act swiftly to secure additional deals. Delays could strengthen China's position, escalate trade tensions and prolong the economic burden of tariffs on American businesses and consumers Trump's tariff policies have created confusion among trading partners and disrupted global supply chains. In April, tariffs on Chinese imports briefly surged to 145 per cent before being partially rolled back to 30 per cent following talks in Geneva, Switzerland , earlier this month. Advertisement A 10 per cent baseline tariff on most other countries remains in place, with a 90-day reprieve set to expire on July 8. The deal with Britain, announced earlier this month, was touted by Trump as a model for trade agreements.
