Vance questions authority of US judges to challenge Trump
On February 11, 2025, 3:19 AM
US Vice-President JD Vance has suggested the power of US judges is beginning to reach its limit, as the White House responds to a flurry of lawsuits that aim to stall its agenda.
âJudges arenât allowed to control the executiveâs legitimate power,â he wrote on X.
Vanceâs remarks on Sunday came less than 24 hours after a judge blocked members of Trumpâs newly created advisory body, the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), from accessing sensitive treasury department systems.
The Trump administration, seeking to swiftly and dramatically reshape the federal government, is being challenged by legal hurdles â including more than two dozen lawsuits.
During his three weeks in office, Trump has signed dozens of executive orders, many of which are alleged by his Democratic opponents to have exceeded his constitutional authority.
Cases filed by Democrats have prevented several of these orders from going into effect, with federal judges issuing temporary blocks.
Speaking to ABC on Sunday, Democratic Senator Chris Murphy suggested Trumpâs dramatic cost-cutting â including for its main overseas aid agency, USAID â amounted to âthe most serious constitutional crisis the country has faced, certainly since Watergateâ.
On Saturday, a judge blocked Doge personnel â led by tech billionaire Elon Musk â from accessing sensitive treasury payment systems and peopleâs personal data after 19 state attorneys general sued the administration.
Among the other Trump actions being challenged in court cases are:
Ending birthright citizenship
Migrant transfers to Guantanamo
Establishment of Doge
Offering federal workers a buyout incentive
Housing of transgender inmates
Ban on transgender individuals serving in the military
Ban on DEIA initiatives in the executive branch
Removal of independent agency leaders
As Trump made his way to New Orleans for the Super Bowl on Sunday, he told reporters the judgeâs ruling was a âdisgraceâ, the New York Times reported.
Trump appointed Musk to lead Doge to slash what he describes as wasteful government spending.
Musk himself called the ruling âinsaneâ, asking: âHow on Earth are we supposed to stop fraud and waste of taxpayer money without looking at how money is spent?â
In Vanceâs social media post, he cited other types of decision-making by the executive branch that he suggested were outside the scope of courtsâ legal purview.
âIf a judge tried to tell a general how to conduct a military operation, that would be illegal,â Vance wrote. âIf a judge tried to command the attorney general in how to use her discretion as a prosecutor, thatâs also illegal.â
Liz Cheney, a former Republican House representative who campaigned in the presidential election against Trump, snapped back at Vance.
âIf you believe any of the multiple federal courts that have ruled against you so far are exceeding their statutory or constitutional authority, your recourse is to appeal,â Cheney wrote on X.
âYou donât get to rage-quit the Republic just because you are losing. Thatâs tyranny.â
The case against Dogeâs access to the treasury was filed in federal court in New York City.
It alleges the Trump administration violated federal law by allowing Muskâs team access to the departmentâs central payment system.
The payment system handles tax refunds and social security benefits, and contains a vast network of Americansâ personal and financial data.
A hearing for the case has been set for Friday.
