Latest news with #TrumpOrder
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ex-Prosecutor Says This Ruling Just Helped Americans 'Connect The Dots' On Trump
Ex-prosecutor Andrew Weissmann on Friday reacted to a federal judge striking down President Donald Trump's executive order targeting law firm Jenner & Block because the order violated the First Amendment. 'It allows people to connect the dots,' said Weissmann, who was previously employed by the law firm and served as a prosecutor on special counsel Robert Mueller's team as it investigated the 2016 Trump campaign's ties to Russia. U.S. District Judge John D. Bates — a George W. Bush appointee — wrote in his ruling that Trump's order 'makes no bones about why it chose its target,' adding that 'it picked Jenner because of the causes Jenner champions, the clients Jenner represents, and a lawyer Jenner once employed.' Friday's ruling marks the second time in a matter of weeks that a judge has foiled Trump's attempts to retaliate against a major law firm whose work he's not a fan of. Severallaw firms have opted to kiss the president's ring by striking deals with him in hopes of avoiding similar executive orders targeting them, leading a number of law associatesas well as top partners to abandon ship as a result. Weissmann — a legal pundit and a notable critic of the president — told MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace that he loves Bates' ruling while tying the decision to the administration's battle with Harvard University. A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration from barring the university's enrollment of foreign students. 'And what is the main ground? First Amendment violation,' said Weissmann of the Harvard ruling. 'And so you're going to see this over and over again.' He stressed that it's 'very important' for Americans not to see the Trump administration's retaliatory acts as 'isolated' events. 'This is sort of remarkable,' he said. 'The United States government repeatedly being found to have violated the First Amendment in really significant ways — attacking a major firm, a series of major law firms and Harvard University.' H/T: Raw Story Trade War Trump Rages: Trump Threatens 50% Tariffs On EU And 25% Penalties On Smart Phones Judge Slams Trump Administration's Retaliation, Blocks Executive Order Against Major Law Firm GOP Tax Bill Touts 'Trump Accounts' Giving $1000 To Newborns — But Experts Say It Wouldn't Do Much For Parents
The Guardian
23-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
US judge overturns Trump order targeting major law firm Jenner & Block
A US judge on Friday overturned Donald Trump's executive order targeting Jenner & Block, a big law firm that employed a lawyer who investigated him. Trump's executive order, called Addressing Risks from Jenner & Block, suspended security clearances for the firm's lawyers and restricted their access to government buildings, officials and federal contracting work. Trump accused the law firm of engaging in activities that 'undermine justice and the interests of the United States', claiming that it participated in politically driven legal actions. In the executive order, Trump specifically criticized the firm for hiring Andrew Weissmann, an attorney who worked on Robert Mueller's investigation into allegations of Russian influence in Trump's 2016 campaign. The firm sued to block Trump's order, arguing it violated the constitution's first and fifth amendments. US district judge John D Bates ruled on Friday that Trump's directive violated core rights under the US constitution, mirroring a 2 May ruling that struck down a similar executive order against law firm Perkins Coie. Bates did not mince words when calling a Trump executive order unconstitutional, which sought to target Jenner & Block. Trump's order, Bates wrote, 'makes no bones about why it chose its target: it picked Jenner because of the causes Jenner champions, the clients Jenner represents, and a lawyer Jenner once employed'. 'Going after law firms in this way is doubly violative of the constitution,' Bates said. The justice department and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The administration can appeal Bates' order to the US court of appeals for the District of Columbia circuit. Trump signed an executive order in March, targeting Jenner & Block by suspending security clearances and restricting their access to government buildings, officials and federal contracting work. This was, Trump claimed, because of politically motivated 'lawfare' the firm engaged in. By attempting to push forward this executive order, Trump attempted to 'chill legal representation the administration doesn't like, thereby insulating the executive branch from the judicial check fundamental to the separation of powers'. Bates added that the Trump executive orders against law firms 'follow the same recipe: other than personalized touches in their first sections, they generally direct the same adverse actions towards each firm and decry the threat each firm poses to national security and the national interest'. Bates was appointed to the District of Columbia in 2001 by George W Bush. He blocked Trump's executive order completely. Apart from Jenner and Perkins Coie, two other firms – WilmerHale and Susman Godfrey – have sued the Trump administration to permanently block executive orders he issued against them. Nine law firms, including Paul Weiss, Milbank, Simpson Thacher and Skadden Arps, have pledged nearly $1bn in free legal services to causes the White House supports and made other concessions to avoid being targeted by Trump. The justice department has defended Trump's executive orders against Jenner and other law firms as consistent with the broad reach of presidential authority. Reuters contributed reporting
Arab News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Judge suspends dismantling of US Education Department
WASHINGTON: A US federal judge on Thursday suspended President Donald Trump's executive order that effectively eliminates the country's Education Department and ordered the reinstatement of hundreds of fired employees. In March, the department announced that it was slashing staff numbers by nearly half, shortly after Trump issued an executive order instructing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to 'put herself out of a job.' That move was hailed by Trump's supporters on the right, but by law, the department created in 1979 cannot be shuttered without the approval of Congress. Around 20 states, along with teachers' unions have challenged the decisions in court, arguing that the government is violating the principle of separation of powers by encroaching on Congress's prerogatives. A federal judge in the northeastern city of Boston agreed with the plaintiffs, suspending the executive order and ordering the reinstatement of hundreds of dismissed employees. 'This court cannot be asked to cover its eyes while the Department's employees are continuously fired and units are transferred out until the Department becomes a shell of itself,' Judge Myong Joun said in his ruling. Traditionally, the federal government has had a limited role in education in the United States, with only about 13 percent of funding for primary and secondary schools coming from federal coffers, the rest being funded by states and local communities. But federal funding is invaluable for low-income schools and students with special needs. And the federal government has been essential in enforcing key civil rights protections for students. The Education Department cannot be completely dismantled without Congress's approval, including 60 votes in the Senate where the ruling Republicans currently hold 53 seats.
Washington Post
22-05-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
The Latest: Judge blocks Trump's executive order to shut down the Education Department
A federal judge on Thursday blocked President Donald Trump's executive order to shut down the Education Department and ordered the agency to reinstate employees who were fired in mass layoffs. It marks a setback to one of Trump's campaign promises. Meanwhile, House Republicans stayed up all night to pass their multitrillion-dollar tax breaks package , with Speaker Mike Johnson defying the skeptics and unifying his ranks to muscle Trump's priority bill to approval.
Wall Street Journal
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
The Abrego Garcia Boomerang at the Supreme Court
The Supreme Court heard two hours of arguments Thursday on whether to stay the 'universal' injunctions that lower judges have issued to block President Trump's order reinterpreting birthright citizenship. Echoing through the debate was uneasiness that Mr. Trump might try to game the legal system. After the Abrego Garcia fiasco, it's hard to blame the Justices for wondering. The federal government is asking the High Court to pare the injunctions so they protect only the parties who sued. But the Administration reserves the right to deny birthright citizenship to other U.S.-born children of aliens covered by Mr. Trump's policy. If an appeals court rules the order illegal, Justice Elena Kagan asked, would Mr. Trump keep enforcing it against everyone else in the same circuit?
