What Happens If Trump Defies a Judge’s Order?: QuickTake

Feb. 16, 2025, 1:00 PM UTC

President Donald Trump’s rush to unleash power through an avalanche of executive orders has triggered court rulings that slowed many of his most aggressive actions. But it has also raised the question of what judges can do if he chooses to defy them.

So far judges have blocked Trump’s orders to end birthright citizenship, freeze trillions of dollars in federal spending and allow Elon Musk’s government efficiency effort, DOGE, to access government payments data. Dozens of lawsuits challenging other Trump actions are pending.

Amid this pressure on the court system, Vice President JD Vance posted on ...

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