California keeps up legal fight over Trump cuts

Since President Trump took office in January, his administration has tried to force the states into submission ona host of policy fronts by cutting off federal funding, part ofa drive to bypass Congress and vastly expand executive power.

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CALIFORNIA Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, center, holds a meeting in March on litigation challenging the Trump administration's maneuvers.

(ALLEN J. SCHABEN/ Los Angeles Times)

Repeatedly when those cuts have been challenged in court, the administration has shifted its approach to go after the same or similar funding from a slightly different angle — prompting more litigation.

The repeated lawsuits have added complexity and volume to an already monumental legal war between the administration and states such as California, one that began almost immediately after Trump took office and is ongoing, as the administration once again threatens major cuts amid the government shutdown.

The White House has previously dismissed California’s lawsuits as baseless and defended Trump’s right to enact his policy agenda, including by withholding funds. Asked about its shifting strategies in some of those cases, Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman, said the administration “has won numerous cases regarding spending cuts at the Supreme Court and will continue to cut wasteful spending across the government in a lawful manner.”

Other administration officials have also defended its legal tactics. During a fight over frozen federal funding earlier thisyear, forinstance, Vice President JD Vance wrote on social media that judges “aren't allowed to control the executive's legitimate power” — sparking concerns about a constitutional crisis.

California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta said the pattern is a result of Trump overstating his power to control federal funding and use it as a weaponagainst his political opponents, but also of his dangerous disregard for the rule of lawand the authority ofboth Congress and federal judges. Bonta’s office has sued the administration more than 40 times since January, many times over funding.