Summary
A federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration to unfreeze federal funding, accusing it of violating a previous court ruling.
The lawsuit, filed by 22 states and D.C., argues the freeze is unconstitutional and causing harm. Trump, JD Vance, and Elon Musk have suggested defying court orders.
The administration appealed the ruling, while legal experts warn officials like the Treasury Secretary could face contempt charges if they ignore it.
The case tests executive power limits and judicial authority.
It will be really interesting for the supreme court to decide if a president can be held in contempt of court.
It doesn’t even need to go that far. The next step after failure to comply with a court order would be dispatching the US Marshalls. They report to the DoJ, so I’d say that’s pretty unlikely.
Scholars and pundits are saying that act of inhibiting their own accountability will be the official end of the US government as it was designed, and the official beginning of an authoritarian regime.
That “official acts” rule is gonna do a lot of heavy lifting.
That’s the trick though. Contempt of court isn’t the same as breaking a law and doesn’t have the same restrictions. For example, a person can be held in jail for contempt indefinitely without trial until the person yields to the demand of the judge. This sometimes happens to people who refuse to pay child support that the courts know they can afford.
Do they bite the hand that feeds them to appease their ego.