Once Again, the Trump Administration Snags a Win From SCOTUS on USAID Funding Case

Well, I predicted a Friday ruling from the Supreme Court — it's just that I predicted it in the case involving Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook. Instead, we got a ruling from the high court on the USAID funding case. (Which isn't to say we won't also get one on Cook's case — there's still time left in the day.)

Once again, the court handed the Trump administration a win, this time by formally granting the administration's application for a stay of D.C. District Judge Amir Ali's September 3rd preliminary injunction, which blocked the Trump administration from withholding previously appropriated USAID funding.

The Supreme Court previously granted an administrative (temporary) stay of that injunction, as to "funds that are subject to the President's August 28, 2025 recission proposal currently pending before Congress."

D.C. District Judge Once Again Enjoins Trump Admin From Withholding Appropriated USAID Funding

With Friday's ruling, the court has now stayed the lower court injunction pending disposition of the matter on appeal. The per curiam (unsigned) order is brief, but sets out the majority's reasoning for granting the stay (emphasis mine):

On September 3, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia entered a preliminary injunction directing the Executive to obligate roughly $10.5 billion of appropriated aid funding set to expire on September 30. Of that $10.5 billion, $4 billion was proposed to be rescinded in a “special message” transmitted pursuant to the Impoundment Control Act. See 2 U. S. C. §681 et seq. After the District Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied stays of that order, the Government filed this application to stay the District Court’s injunction. The application for stay presented to THE CHIEF JUSTICE and by him referred to the Court is granted. The Government, at this early stage, has made a sufficient showing that the Impoundment Control Act precludes respondents’ suit, brought pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act, to enforce the appropriations at issue here. The Government has also made a sufficient showing that mandamus relief is unavailable to respondents. And, on the record before the Court, the asserted harms to the Executive’s conduct of foreign affairs appear to outweigh the potential harm faced by respondents. This order should not be read as a final determination on the merits. The relief granted by the Court today reflects our preliminary view, consistent with the standards for interim relief.
The District Court’s September 3, 2025 order granting a preliminary injunction in case Nos. 1:25–cv–400 and 1:25–cv–402 is stayed as to the funding subject to the President’s August 28 special message, pending the disposition of the Government’s appeal in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and disposition of a petition for a writ of certiorari, if such writ is timely sought. Should the petition for a writ of certiorari be denied, this stay shall terminate automatically. In the event certiorari is granted, the stay shall terminate upon the sending down of the judgment of this Court.

And once again, the court's liberal justices dissented from the ruling. Justice Elena Kagan penned the dissent, and Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson joined her in it.

As noted in the court's order, this is not a final disposition of the case. It simply means that Judge Amir's September 3rd ruling (enjoining the administration from withholding the funding) is paused while the issue makes its way through the appellate process. Also, this ruling applies only to the funds that were subject to President Trump's August 28 rescission proposal, i.e., the $4 billion.

However, it does signify a win for the administration in terms of its control over funding, and may also add a wrinkle to the tussle over the looming shutdown.

This is a significant win for Trump in a battle over the power of the purse and could make it even more difficult for Congress to reach a deal to avoid a shutdown — either now or in future negotiations.
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) September 26, 2025

In any event, we'll keep following the story and bringing you updates as warranted.

Editor's Note: Radical leftist judges are doing everything they can to hamstring President Trump's agenda to make America great again.

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