January  12, 2026

A federal judge ruled on Monday that the Trump administration's cancellation of approximately $8 billion in energy grants violated the Constitution by targeting recipients primarily based in Democratic-leaning states.

U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta issued a 17-page opinion finding the Department of Energy's (DOE) grant terminations unlawful under the Fifth Amendment's equal protection guarantee. The ruling orders the department to restore seven specific grants worth $27.6 million that were part of a broader cancellation affecting more than 200 projects announced by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought on October 1, 2025, the first day of the government shutdown.

Mehta concluded that "all the awardees (but one) were based in states whose majority of citizens casting votes did not support President Donald Trump in the 2024 election." The ruling establishes constitutional boundaries on executive branch actions that discriminate based on state political affiliation.

Read more:

https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-violated-the-constitution-federal-judge-rules-11347824