A Reagan-appointed federal judge is fast-tracking legal challenges to multiple Trump Executive Orders, delivering a scathing rebuke from the bench—“Have we no shame?”—in a dramatic moment highlighting bipartisan concern over potential abuses of presidential power.
At a Glance
- Judge William G. Young, a Reagan appointee, is expediting hearings on Trump executive orders
- Young condemned the orders as “arbitrary, capricious and lawless” during a June hearing
- The cases challenge executive actions cutting NIH funding for minority and LGBTQ+ programs
- Republican-appointed judges are increasingly ruling against Trump-era executive moves
- Federal courts are emerging as a key check on presidential authority
Judge Young, known for judicial efficiency and pragmatism, stunned observers when he slammed Trump’s orders cutting National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants for minority and LGBTQ+ programs as “perfect lawlessness.” During the hearing, he asked pointedly, “Have we fallen so low? Have we no shame?” according to Reuters. Legal scholars view this as a rare public denunciation of presidential actions by a GOP-appointed judge.
Watch: Federal judge fast-tracks Trump EO cases
This is not an isolated incident. A growing number of Reagan-, Bush-, and Trump-appointed judges are pausing or blocking key Trump-era policies, from immigration enforcement to election oversight. As The Hill reports, the judiciary is now serving as a vital institutional counterweight to aggressive executive moves.
Judge Young is moving quickly. His fast-tracked cases, brought under the Administrative Procedure Act, could yield rulings within weeks. Legal analysts expect appeals to follow—potentially pushing the debate to the U.S. Supreme Court, where questions about the limits of presidential authority will face renewed scrutiny.
As these cases advance, Judge Young’s searing rebuke underscores the broader stakes: how far any president can stretch executive power before courts—and the Constitution—push back.
