Recent court orders slowing down or indefinitely blocking President Donald Trump’s policy blitz have raised the specter that the executive branch might openly flout the federal judiciary and prompted questions about how judges would respond.

A federal appeals court on Tuesday refused to immediately halt a judge's order requiring the Trump administration to release billions of dollars in federal grants and loans that remain frozen even after a court blocked a sweeping pause on federal funding.

There has been an unbroken string of wins in court against the Trump administration and Musk’s DOGE operation; on birthright citizenship, on impoundment, on pretty much every issue, as I understand it, that’s gone to a court, including, let’s say it again, a Reagan judge on birthright citizenship.

This is the first time in President Donald Trump’s second term that a federal judge has accused his administration of defying a court order.