A U.S. judge has given a provisional win to President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk by rejecting a request for a temporary restraining order that would hinder their attempts to reshape federal agencies.
District Judge Tanya Chutkan’s ruling on Tuesday is part of an ongoing lawsuit initiated by 14 states, which argue that Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) lacks the authority to terminate federal employees or access sensitive information.
Chutkan acknowledged that Musk’s authority to execute firings and reduce funding is questionable, yet noted that the states did not successfully demonstrate the immediate harm necessary to warrant a restraining order.
Nonetheless, she showed support for the states’ claims, stating they “legitimately question what seems to be the unchecked power of an unelected individual.”
“DOGE’s erratic actions have caused significant uncertainty and confusion,” Chutkan remarked, emphasizing that DOGE “was not established by Congress” and operates with minimal oversight.
This was a rare legal triumph for the Trump administration, which has faced multiple federal court rulings that have issued restraining orders to pause its initiatives.
Since taking office, Trump and his associates have hurriedly moved to weaken federal agencies that many conservatives view negatively, asserting they are eliminating wasteful spending and addressing unspecified instances of “fraud.”
Experts and Democratic officials have raised concerns about the legality of some of those actions.
This lawsuit was spearheaded by 14 state attorneys general. It aimed to prevent DOGE employees from obtaining sensitive information from various government departments, including labor, education, health and human services, energy, transportation, commerce, and the Office of Personnel Management.
In their request for a restraining order, the states sought to block DOGE from firing federal employees or placing them on leave.
Their argument is based on the premise that Musk and DOGE are wielding powers that require Congressional approval.
Trump announced the establishment of DOGE shortly after his re-election in November, stating its mission would be to “dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, eliminate wasteful spending, and restructure Federal Agencies.”
Upon assuming office on January 20, Trump signed an executive order that replaced the U.S. Digital Service – an agency responsible for modernizing government technology – with DOGE, integrating it into the executive branch.
The president has since enacted another order that requires DOGE authorization for new hires at federal agencies. DOGE has also sought access to data from various agencies, including the U.S. Treasury, Social Security Administration, and Internal Revenue Service.
Critics caution that such unrestricted access to information may lead to conflicts of interest for Musk, particularly since his business competitors might be affected by the data collected. Furthermore, they argue that any unauthorized modifications to the data systems of these agencies could be difficult to detect and reverse.
Typically, nominations for high-level executive roles must go through a Senate confirmation process. However, the specifics of Musk’s role in the government remain unclear.
Musk has publicly discussed his intentions to cut funding and dismiss employees from several government agencies. He has made frequent visits to the White House in recent weeks, including meetings with foreign dignitaries such as India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on Tuesday that Musk is functioning as “a senior adviser to the president, if you will.”
Later in the day, during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump was questioned about Musk’s role.
“Elon is, to me, a patriot,” Trump responded. “You could call him an employee. You could call him a consultant. You could call him whatever you want, but he’s a patriot.”
When asked whether Musk’s access to the Department of Defense and the Federal Aviation Administration could create a conflict of interest, given his ownership of an aerospace company, Trump dismissed the concern.
“Obviously, I will not allow any conflict of interest,” Trump asserted.
“I told Elon, any conflicts, he can’t be involved with that. So anything related to even space, we won’t let Elon be a part of it.”
The legal ambiguity has resulted in a complex array of legal challenges and counter-challenges affecting numerous agencies and adjudicated by various judges.
Musk has embraced aggressive language directed toward government agencies, describing USAID as a “vipers nest of radical-left Marxists who hate America.”
He has also criticized judges who rule against his initiatives with Trump. Following a judge’s order to restore data sets that had been removed from government agency websites, Musk referred to him as an “evil judge” who “must be fired.”
