President Trump has been waiting for this ruling. It could determine the course of his presidency.
And the Supreme Court makes a massive ruling that has Trump falling out of his chair.
SCOTUS Approves Trump’s Plan to Streamline Federal Government
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court delivered a significant ruling, lifting a lower court’s restriction on President Trump’s initiative to reduce the size of the federal government through widespread layoffs across multiple agencies. This decision, a fresh victory for the Trump administration, reinforces the president’s authority to reshape the federal workforce and advance his vision for a leaner government.
The high court’s unsigned order paves the way for Trump’s February 13 executive directive, which mandated “large-scale reductions in force” across federal agencies. The ruling overturns a May 9 decision by Northern California District Judge Susan Illston, who had temporarily halted the administration’s plans for workforce cuts and program terminations.
In a notable alignment, liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor joined the majority, lending bipartisan weight to the court’s stance.
“Because the Government is likely to succeed on its argument that the Executive Order and Memorandum are lawful — and because the other factors bearing on whether to grant a stay are satisfied — we grant the application,” the Supreme Court stated in its order.
The justices made clear, however, that they were not ruling on the legality of specific agency plans, noting, “We express no view on the legality of any Agency [Reduction in Force] and Reorganization Plan produced or approved pursuant to the Executive Order and Memorandum.”
The court pointed out that Judge Illston, appointed by President Bill Clinton, had blocked Trump’s order based on her “view about the legality” of the directive itself, rather than a review of the actual workforce reduction plans, which were “not before this Court.”
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issued a pointed dissent, criticizing the court for its readiness to endorse Trump’s “legally dubious actions” under an emergency framework. “This executive action promises mass employee terminations, widespread cancellation of federal programs and services, and the dismantling of much of the Federal Government as Congress has created it,” she said.
Jackson argued that “Under our Constitution, Congress has the power to establish administrative agencies and detail their functions,” emphasizing that Trump’s restructuring efforts required congressional approval.
Sotomayor, while aligning with the majority, acknowledged Jackson’s concerns, writing that Trump “cannot restructure federal agencies in a manner inconsistent with congressional mandates.” However, she cautioned that it was too soon to judge the legality of the administration’s plans, as they were not yet before the court.
“The plans themselves are not before this Court, at this stage, and we thus have no occasion to consider whether they can and will be carried out consistent with the constraints of law,” Sotomayor explained. She supported the stay, noting it allows the district court to evaluate the plans in detail moving forward.
The Trump administration’s efforts to reduce the size of the federal workforce have been led by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), previously under the leadership of Elon Musk.
The initiative has sparked fierce resistance from labor unions and nonprofit organizations, which filed lawsuits to protect workers at agencies including the Departments of Agriculture, Energy, Labor, the Interior, State, the Treasury, Veterans Affairs, as well as the National Science Foundation, Small Business Administration, Social Security Administration, and Environmental Protection Agency.
Attorney General Pam Bondi hailed the ruling on X, declaring, “Today, the Supreme Court stopped lawless lower courts from restricting President Trump’s authority over federal personnel — another Supreme Court victory thanks to [Justice Department] attorneys.” She continued, “Now, federal agencies can become more efficient than ever before.”
Today, the Supreme Court stopped lawless lower courts from restricting President Trump’s authority over federal personnel — another Supreme Court victory thanks to @thejusticedept attorneys.
Now, federal agencies can become more efficient than ever before.
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) July 8, 2025
This ruling opens the door for significant changes to the federal government’s structure, though the specifics of agency plans and their legal implications remain unresolved.
Stay tuned to the Conservative Column.
