On Jan. 20, 2025, Donald Trump became the 47th president of the United States. After taking the oath of office, President Trump began signing executive orders pardoning Jan. 6 defendants, implementing Schedule F to reclassify civil servants as political appointees, dismantling executive agencies like USAID, freezing federal funding and more. Many of his executive actions have faced legal challenges.
On this page you will find real-time updates of the litigation, Lawfare's weekly livestream series, documents related to the actions, Lawfare's four trackers which follow the legal challenges to administration actions, and analysis of President Trump's executive actions and the litigation challenging them. Use the buttons below to navigate the page.
.png?sfvrsn=42879f6b_2)
Find real time updates of Lawfare’s coverage of the Trump administration’s legal challenges, on Bluesky or below:
Every week, Lawfare Editor in Chief Benjamin Wittes sits down with Lawfare contributors for "The Trials of the Trump Administration," a live discussion on the legal challenges to President Trump's executive actions.
Lawfare Analysis
-
Breaking Down OPM’s ‘Fork in the Road’ Email to Federal Workers
Though the subject line borrows a phrase from Musk’s Twitter email, the federal government is not a private company, and its HR policies are arcane and legally binding. -
The Trump Defense Department’s First Border Deployment: A Return to the Past
Trump’s first southern border deployment retreads old ground and almost certainly relies on non-emergency authorities, many of which were also employed by the Biden administration. -
Trump Issues Memorandum to Detain Migrants at Guantanamo
The president directs the secretaries of defense and homeland security to expand the migrant operations center to “full capacity.” -
Lawfare Daily: Understanding the Impoundment Crisis
What is going on with the federal government funding freeze? -
Sanctuary, Supremacy, History, and the Deep Country
The Trump administration lacks the legal power to coerce state and local authorities to enlist in its deportation campaign—and ignores the history of similar failed efforts. -
Trump Executive Order Targets Transgender Service Members
The order reverses a 2021 Biden administration directive allowing transgender troops to serve openly—which itself had overturned an earlier ban from the first Trump administration. -
A Primer on the Impoundment Control Act
Refusals to undertake required spending are already a major theme of Trump’s second term, but the law limits such executive action. -
Trump Orders Pause on Federal Financial Assistance
The memorandum directs agencies to pause funding and conduct a review of programs implicated by executive orders. -
Lawfare Live: Patel, Gabbard, and Kennedy Confirmation Hearings
Watch the discussion on Jan. 30 at 4 pm ET.
