President Donald Trump has suffered four legal blows in the space of hours.
Judges have issued updates across a number of areas, from the Trump administration's efforts to construct a $400-million ballroom in the White House, to his executive order related to funding radio stations.
Judge deals Trump setback in civil suits Over Capitol riot
Federal Judge Amit Mehta is allowing a lawsuit related to the January 6 riots to move forward.
On January 6, 2021, Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. to protest his election loss to Joe Biden.
Trump had tried to claim presidential immunity to stop the case from going ahead, but the judge said Trump acted as "an office-seeker" not "an incumbent president acting in his official capacity"
NPR and PBS Funding
A district court in Washington, D.C. permanently blocked Trump's executive order to stop funding to National Public Radio and the Public Broadcast Service.
U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss blocked the order that Trump signed in May, citing First Amendment protections against viewpoint discrimination.
“This is a ridiculous ruling by an activist judge attempting to undermine the law," Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman told Newsweek. "NPR and PBS have no right to receive taxpayer funds, and Congress already voted to defund them. The Trump administration looks forward to ultimate victory on the issue.”
HHS Lawsuit
Judge Timothy Kelly declined a bid from the Trump administration to dismiss a suit which claims the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shuttering Freedom of Information Act [FOIA] offices at the agency broke the law by halting requests.
The cuts to the offices were made in April 2025 as part of a wider reduction of 10,000 jobs at HHS and they were challenged in a lawsuit by advocacy group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
An HHS spokesperson told Newsweek: "The prior FOIA process was fragmented, siloed, and often ineffective at providing timely information to the public. HHS is committed to improving and streamlining the FOIA process, including working with private-sector partners, in alignment with Secretary [Robert F.] Kennedy's push for radical transparency."
Trump's Ballroom
A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the Trump administration to halt construction of a planned $400-million ballroom at the White House.
In his judgment, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon sided with preservationists who argue that the president overstepped his authority by demolishing the East Wing. He granted a request from the National Trust for Historic Preservation for a preliminary injunction, temporarily suspending the project.
The Trump administration filed a notice of appeal in response to the judge's decision.
Trump wrote on Truth Social: "In the Ballroom case, the Judge said we have to get Congressional approval. He is WRONG! Congressional approval has never been given on anything, in these circumstances, big or small, having to do with construction at the White House. In this case, even less so, because the Ballroom is being built with Private Donations, no Federal Taxpayer Money! President DONALD J. TRUMP."
Davis Ingle, a White House spokesman told Newsweek: “President Trump clearly has the legal authority to modernize, renovate, and beautify the White House—just like all of his predecessors did. We will immediately appeal this egregious decision and are confident we will prevail.”
Update 4/2/2026 7:16 a.m. ET: This story has been updated with comment from the White House and the HHS.