Two courts, one message: Trump's political shortcuts won’t be allowed to stick

June 12, 2026

Sources: Washington Post, CNBC

A pair of federal rulings this week dealt fresh setbacks to President Donald Trump’s effort to expand his influence through government-funded and political channels—first by blocking a planned Justice Department compensation program critics call a “slush fund,” and then by refusing to delay the removal of Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center.

Judge extends block on DOJ “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” demands written proof it’s dead

In Alexandria, Virginia, Judge Leonie Brinkema extended her order blocking the Department of Justice from implementing its “Anti-Weaponization Fund.” Her concern: Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s congressional testimony that the fund would not move forward wasn’t enough, and she required written, sworn guarantees from the DOJ and the Treasury that the program is truly over.

Brinkema’s ruling keeps a preliminary injunction in place against the roughly $1.8 billion fund announced earlier as part of the settlement of Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS over alleged leak-related misconduct. The fund drew immediate condemnation from many Democrats—and some Republicans—due to fears it could reward people tied to politically sensitive criminal cases, including fallout from the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack.

Kennedy Center can’t delay: judge denies last-ditch bid to keep Trump’s name

Hours before a deadline tied to court-ordered action, another federal judge refused to grant the Kennedy Center a delay in removing Trump’s name from the venue.

Judge Christopher Cooper denied the Kennedy Center’s last-ditch motion to stay Cooper’s earlier ruling from May, saying the center failed to show it was likely to win an appeal or that it would suffer irreparable harm if Trump’s name were removed. Crews then moved forward—installing scaffolding as the deadline approached and the institution continued reverting from the Trump-branded materials toward “The Kennedy Center.”

The dispute centers on the Kennedy Center’s trustees’ decision to rename the performing arts venue after Trump was installed as board chair by trustees aligned with his allies—sparking legal claims that only Congress has authority to change the Kennedy Center’s name under the law establishing it.

Taken together, the decisions underscore the theme: Trump-aligned efforts—whether involving a purportedly hidden compensation scheme or a high-visibility institutional branding move—are meeting judicial resistance. Brinkema pressed for written assurances that the DOJ program is truly terminated; Cooper refused to pause the symbolic removal of Trump’s name from a congressionally chartered national monument.