The Washington D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has surprisingly handed Donald Trump a massive legal victory that might be the lynchpin he’ll need to defeat the wave of lawfare that the left has used to attack his agenda.
The case stems from Trump’s effort to shut down the Voice of America (VOA) by laying off many of the agency’s employees.
Naturally, as soon as he announced the layoffs and the suspension of VOA’s activities, the agents of lawfare chaos moved in and filed nuisance suits to try and stop Trump from performing his duties.
US District Judge Royce Lamberth, a Reagan appointee, agreed with the leftists attacking Trump and demanded that he stop and the judge moved to allow the employees to return to work.
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However, the D.C. Court of Appeals disagreed with Lamberth. The Appeals Court pointed out that Trump’s policy moves have been a matter of employment decisions, and that is something that the courts generally have no role in deciding. Therefore, the court halted Lambert’s move to stop Trump’s moves over VOA.
The Appeals ruling is one that will likely impinge on dozens of other lawfare attacks on Trump’s authority.
As she usually does, writer Margo Cleveland explained this well in a series of posts on X.
Instead of me trying to explain it all, I’ll let Cleveland explain it…
2/ Full order. Thoughts follow. https://t.co/9M1Kihd7mm
— Margot Cleveland (@ProfMJCleveland) May 3, 2025
4/ Court of Appeals decision is based on fundamental issue of "jurisdiction." This conclusion should have wide-spread ramifications because many of challenges to Trump Administration are about employment decisions which CONGRESS said are NOT for district courts to decide. pic.twitter.com/zvm8capDCA
— Margot Cleveland (@ProfMJCleveland) May 3, 2025
6/ Additionally, Court of Appeals held that district court lacked jurisdiction to restore grants because Congress gave that authority to Court of Claims: pic.twitter.com/7kPc2yJTiE
— Margot Cleveland (@ProfMJCleveland) May 3, 2025
8/ Decision stressed why claims about grants must got to Court of Claims. pic.twitter.com/YAFK1PwxV8
— Margot Cleveland (@ProfMJCleveland) May 3, 2025
10/ Court of Appeals again highlights that with no bond the harm to government is irreparable. Also noted that Voice of America isn't being shuttered. pic.twitter.com/TRBS6qaPZ5
— Margot Cleveland (@ProfMJCleveland) May 3, 2025
12/ In sum, this opinion is a HUGE win for Trump because it establishes 3 key principles that apply to many of the other cases being brought against Trump Administration: a) no jurisdiction over firings; b) no jurisdiction over grant terminations;
— Margot Cleveland (@ProfMJCleveland) May 3, 2025
14/14 Final thought: It is next to impossible to reconcile opinion here with same panels refusal to clarify stay in other case involving USAID and grants from legal perspective. Practically: Judge Katas in other case figured decision on merits would be soon enough so no harm.
— Margot Cleveland (@ProfMJCleveland) May 3, 2025
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston, X at WTHuston, or Truth Social at @WarnerToddHuston.
Cross-posted with The Lid
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- Speaker Johnson Warns Congress May Defund Or Disband Rogue Courts Targeting Trump
- A Modest Proposal For Congress: Eliminate The D.C. Circuit And District Courts
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