Today in one sentence: A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration violated his order to unfreeze billions in federal grants and directed the White House to restore the funds immediately; JD Vance and Elon Musk attacked the federal judge who blocked the Department of Government Efficiency from accessing Treasury Department payment systems; the newly appointed acting head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ordered an immediate halt to nearly all agency operations; Trump announced a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports; Trump is reportedly "angry" that deportations haven’t met his expectations, with ICE struggling to meet daily quotas; Trump said Palestinians displaced from Gaza under his proposal would not be allowed to return, reiterating his plan for U.S. "ownership" of the territory and permanent resettlement elsewhere; the Department of Government Efficiency gained administrative access at the Department of Education, including email systems and potentially sensitive databases; and Trump’s approval rating stands at 53%, with supporters describing him as “tough,” “focused,” and “effective.”

1/ A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration violated his order to unfreeze billions in federal grants and directed the White House to restore the funds immediately. U.S. District Judge John McConnell found that despite his prior ruling, the White House continued to withhold money for Medicaid, school lunches, clean energy projects, and other federally approved programs. The Justice Department argued that some funding was exempt, but McConnell rejected that claim, saying the freeze was unconstitutional and caused “irreparable harm.” The ruling follows a lawsuit by 22 states challenging the administration’s attempt to tie federal grants to Trump’s policy priorities. While McConnell did not hold officials in contempt, he warned that continued defiance could lead to further legal action. (Associated Press / New York Times / NBC News / Wall Street Journal / Politico / ABC News)

2/ JD Vance and Elon Musk attacked the federal judge who blocked the Department of Government Efficiency from accessing Treasury Department payment systems. On Saturday, U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer issued a temporary restraining order preventing Musk and his DOGE team from accessing the Treasury Department’s financial systems, which handle trillions of dollars in payments, including Social Security benefits and tax refunds. The ruling came in response to a lawsuit from 19 state attorneys general, who argued that granting Musk’s team access to secure government databases violated constitutional limits on executive power. Engelmayer warned that the administration’s policy “presents a heightened risk of leaks and hacking” and ordered officials to “immediately destroy any and all copies of material downloaded” from Treasury systems. Musk responded, calling Engelmayer “a corrupt judge protecting corruption” and demanding that he be “impeached NOW.” Trump also criticized the judge’s ruling, saying “No judge should, frankly, be allowed to make that kind of decision.” JD Vance, meanwhile, claimed that “judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.” Musk and Vance’s comments have drawn strong pushback from legal experts and Democratic officials, who warn that undermining the courts could lead to a constitutional crisis. “The executive would be behaving lawlessly” if it defied a judicial ruling, Columbia Law professor Jamal Greene said, adding that “the courts determine whether some use of executive power is lawful or not.” Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy called the situation “the most serious constitutional crisis the country has faced since Watergate” and urged Congress to intervene. Justice Department lawyers filed an emergency motion asking for the ruling to be overturned, calling it a “remarkable intrusion” on the executive branch and warning that it could even prevent Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent from overseeing his department. A federal court hearing is scheduled for Friday. (CNBC / New York Times / Associated Press / Politico / NBC News / Washington Post / New York Times / Forbes / The Hill)

  • Five former Treasury secretaries warned that the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency is undermining U.S. financial commitments. They criticized DOGE’s access to the Treasury’s payment system, calling it a risk to data security and constitutional norms. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent denied any interference with federal payments, while Trump advisor Kevin Hassett dismissed concerns as “poppycock,” arguing that previous administrations lacked spending oversight. (New York Times)
  • Trump suggested that Elon Musk’s government efficiency team found “irregularities” in U.S. Treasury payments, implying that some obligations may be fraudulent and that “maybe we have less debt than we thought.” (Bloomberg / Reuters)
  • The Trump White House issued a memo confirming that Trump, JD Vance, and other top aides can discuss ongoing criminal and civil cases with the attorney general. This reverses Biden-era limits and expands on a similar 2017 Trump administration policy, but more clearly affirms the president’s ability to discuss any type of case. (Washington Post)
  • Trump will sign an executive order pausing enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which bans U.S. companies from bribing foreign officials, arguing the law puts American businesses at a competitive disadvantage. (CNBC / Bloomberg)

3/ The newly appointed acting head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ordered an immediate halt to nearly all agency operations. In an internal email, Russell Vought instructed CFPB employees to “cease all supervision and examination activity,” end pending investigations, stop issuing new rules or guidance, and pause all enforcement actions. Vought also barred the agency from making any public communications without his approval. Vought also declined to request its next round of funding from the Federal Reserve, constraining the agency’s ability to function. The CFPB is funded outside of the congressional appropriations process, relying instead on transfers from the Fed. The CFPB union, a chapter of the National Treasury Employees Union, filed two lawsuits Sunday to block Vought’s directives and DOGE’s access to agency data. One lawsuit argued that Vought’s orders to halt supervision and enforcement were unlawful, while the other sought to prevent DOGE-affiliated staff from accessing CFPB employee information. “Employees face irreparable harm to their privacy interests if their employee information is improperly accessed and/or disseminated by individuals associated with DOGE,” the union said. Since its inception following the 2008 financial crisis, the CFPB has secured over $21 billion in consumer relief through enforcement actions against banks and corporations. An anonymous CFPB employee warned, “They’re pulling hundreds of examiners out of the field—the people who make sure your grandmother isn’t getting ripped off by scammers and your kid isn’t being deceived by predatory student lenders.” (NBC News / Wall Street Journal / New York Times / Associated Press / NPR / NBC News / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal / NPR / CNN)

4/ Trump announced a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports. Trump said the new tariffs would apply to “everybody,” including Canada and Mexico, and take effect immediately. He also plans to introduce reciprocal tariffs to match duties imposed by other nations on U.S. goods (Bloomberg / Associated Press / New York Times / CNBC / CNN / NBC News)

5/ Trump is reportedly “angry” that deportations haven’t met his expectations, with ICE struggling to meet daily quotas. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and acting ICE Director Caleb Vitello are under pressure to accelerate arrests, with ICE aiming for 1,200 to 1,400 daily detentions but often falling short. Meanwhile, DHS requested that the Treasury Department deputize IRS criminal investigators to assist with immigration enforcement, including tracking financial flows tied to human trafficking and unauthorized employment. (NBC News / Wall Street Journal)

  • A third federal judge blocked Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship, ruling it likely violates the 14th Amendment’s citizenship guarantee. (New York Times)

6/ Trump said Palestinians displaced from Gaza under his proposal would not be allowed to return, reiterating his plan for U.S. “ownership” of the territory and permanent resettlement elsewhere. In a Fox News interview, Trump described Gaza as a “real estate development for the future” and suggested relocating 2.2 million Palestinians to Jordan and Egypt, despite both countries rejecting the idea. His comments also contradict administration officials who previously framed relocation as temporary. (Associated Press / NBC News / The Guardian / New York Times / Reuters / USA Today / Axios / Washington Post)

poll/ Trump’s approval rating stands at 53%, with supporters describing him as “tough,” “focused,” and “effective.” 54% approve of Trump’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict, while 47% say a U.S. takeover of Gaza would be a bad idea. 66% believe Trump hasn’t focused enough on lowering prices. While 56% support 10% tariffs on China, majorities oppose his proposed 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada. 50% say Elon Musk should have some influence on government operations, rising to 74% among Republicans. (CBS News)

The midterm elections are in 631 days.

✏️ Notables.

  1. Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency gained administrative access at the Department of Education, including email systems and potentially sensitive databases. House Democrats were denied entry when they attempted to meet with officials, and a watchdog group sued to block DOGE staff from accessing federal student aid data, citing privacy risks for 42 million borrowers. Meanwhile, the department launched a review of DEI-related grants, raising questions about the potential rollback of funding for programs supporting students with disabilities and English learners. The changes have outpaced the confirmation process for Trump’s nominee, Linda McMahon. (NBC News)

  2. The Department of Education ordered an end to programs supporting transgender students. An internal email directed department employees to terminate policies, contracts, and programs that do not “affirm the reality of biological sex.” (ProPublica)

  3. The National Institutes of Health will cap indirect research costs at 15% – down from an average of nearly 30%. The change, aimed at redirecting more funds toward direct scientific research, is expected to save $4 billion annually. (Washington Post / Politico / CNN / NBC News / NPR / Bloomberg)

  4. 22 states sued the Trump administration over the NIH policy capping university research overhead funding at 15%, arguing it would devastate medical research and violate federal law. The lawsuit, filed in Massachusetts, claims the abrupt cut would halt clinical trials, lead to layoffs, and disrupt ongoing research. Universities like Stanford and Harvard warned the policy could slow scientific innovation, with some institutions expecting losses of over $100 million annually. (STAT News / Politico / Bloomberg)

  5. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered an immediate ban on transgender military recruits and paused all gender-affirming medical procedures for active-duty service members. Lawsuits from transgender troops and advocacy groups argue the policy is unconstitutional. Trump has also restricted gender-affirming care for minors and transgender participation in women’s sports. (The Hill / ABC News / Reuters)

  6. Trump plans to fire Kennedy Center board members, appoint himself chairman, and reshape programming, though it’s unclear if he has the legal authority to do so. (New York Times / Associated Press / Washington Post)

  7. Trump’s nominee for FBI director received $25,000 from a Russia-linked film company and holds up to $5 million in stock from Shein, a Chinese ecommerce company. Kash Patel said he doesn’t plan to divest his stake in Shein if confirmed as FBI director. (Wired / Mother Jones / Washington Post)

  8. The Federal Highway Administration halted funding for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program, blocking states from accessing already-approved funds to build EV charging stations. (Politico / The Hill)

  9. Trump directed the Treasury Department to stop minting pennies, arguing that the coin costs more to make than its face value. The U.S. Mint reported losing $85.3 million in 2024 on nearly 3.2 billion pennies, with each one costing about 3.7 cents to produce. It’s unclear whether Trump has the legal authority to stop minting the coin without congressional approval. (New York Times / USA Today / NBC News)

Three years ago today: Day 387: "On fire."
Four years ago today: Day 22: "Inciter in chief."
Five years ago today: Day 1117: Parasite.
Eight years ago today: Day 22: Denials.