WASHINGTON, D.C. — The nation may be edging closer to a constitutional crisis as senior White House officials express frustration over a series of court orders stymieing President Donald Trump’s agenda.
The latest ruling from a federal judge in Rhode Island has extended a freeze on a sweeping funding freeze, reminding Trump and his top officials that “those who make private determinations of the law and refuse to obey an order generally risk criminal contempt.”
District Judge John McConnell’s order follows other legal setbacks that throw into question Trump’s plans to shrink and remake the federal government, end birthright citizenship, and rein in spending. At a minimum, the rulings suggest that varied Trump initiatives will be delayed, if not blocked altogether, as lawsuits filed by opponents work their way up the judicial ladder.
White House officials express frustration
A White House official familiar with Trump’s thinking told NBC News, “The courts can be expected to do this. The unfortunate part is the wait time to get it to the superior courts and even to the Supreme Court if necessary.” Another official added, “We are careful in drafting the text of executive orders to make the possibility of court challenges being successful, but this is an occupational hazard.”
Senior White House aide Stephen Miller responded to a social media post from former Biden administration official Pete Buttigieg, writing, “Hey Pete, care to show us the line in the Constitution where it says a lone unelected district judge can assume decision-making control over the entire executive branch affecting 300 million citizens?”
Vice President JD Vance also weighed in, stating, “Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power. If a judge tried to tell a general how to conduct a military operation, that would be illegal. If a judge tried to command the attorney general in how to use her discretion as a prosecutor, that’s also illegal.”
The tension between the executive branch and the judiciary has raised concerns among legal experts. Alberto Gonzales, attorney general in Republican President George W. Bush’s administration, told NBC News, “To willfully ignore the courts could be grounds for impeachment in my judgment — or at least public condemnation and congressional censure.”
As the legal battles continue, the nation watches closely to see how this constitutional showdown will unfold and what impact it will have on the balance of power in the U.S. government.
