A federal judge issued a scathing rebuke Tuesday, ruling that Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) likely violated the Constitution in dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang blocked further efforts to shutter USAID, ordered employees to be reinstated, and found that Musk’s role in the Trump administration likely requires Senate confirmation under the Appointments Clause.
Chuang’s ruling is the first explicit legal challenge to Musk’s sweeping influence within the government.
“The record shows Musk has exercised unchecked power beyond what is legally permitted,” Chuang wrote.
The White House slammed the ruling, vowing an appeal.
“Rogue judges are attempting to stop President Trump from carrying out his agenda,” said White House spokesperson Anna Kelly.
The decision follows Trump’s mass firings of USAID staff and a freeze on billions in aid funding, which Chuang found likely violated Congress’s authority to control the agency’s fate.
Trump and Musk have insisted DOGE is legal, but Chuang found evidence suggesting otherwise.
Sources
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