The federal judiciary pushes back against Trump’s corruption

May 30, 2026

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The federal judiciary pushes back against Trump’s corruption

And just like that, Trump’s corruption juggernaut has been derailed by the federal judiciary!

Friday was a rare day of multiple victories for those who yearn for a return to the rule of law. The confluence of three judicial victories on a single day was the result of determined resistance by legal advocates who often labor in anonymity for long stretches. On Friday, their vigilance paid off.

First, two federal judges challenged Trump’s $1.8 billion thug fund.

Judge Leonie M. Brinkema in the E.D. of Virginia issued an administrative stay prohibiting the creation, funding, or distribution of the $1.8 billion fund. The Justice Department must file its response by June 5 and a hearing will be held on June 12, at which time Judge Brinkema will determine whether the stay will remain in effect until trial.

Judge Kathleen Williams in the Southern District of Florida is considering a motion to reopen Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS, whose voluntary dismissal provided the legal framework for the Trump-IRS sham “settlement” that created the thug fund. Trump must respond by June 12 to three questions, including whether the case should be reopened because the Court was the “victim of a fraud.”

Second, as a bonus, Judge Christopher Cooper in Washington, D.C., ordered Trump to remove his name from the Kennedy Center and prohibited the center’s Board of Trustees from closing it during repairs.

Before examining the details of the orders issued by the three federal judges, it is important to note that Trump frequently takes illegal actions on the assumption that the courts will not stop him. The blatant partisanship of the Supreme Court has led many in the resistance to assume that Trump will not be checked by the courts. Not so! Although the Supreme Court is siding with Trump in high-profile cases relating to voting rights, federal district judges have ruled against Trump in hundreds of cases. See, e.g., Just Security, Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions.

The Supreme Court accepts a tiny fraction of cases for review; it has not and cannot review the hundreds of cases in which Trump’s actions have been enjoined or declared unlawful in district courts. It is important to keep this fact in mind as we head into the 2026 midterms. Voting challenges occur at the local level—city, county, and state. In 2020, Trump filed 60 lawsuits challenging the outcome; none reached the Supreme Court.

So, as we examine the rulings by three federal judges on Friday, we should recognize that those rulings are highly likely to become final. In the meantime, Trump will be prohibited from engaging in a massive theft from the US Treasury, which is funded by American taxpayers.

Moreover, at a practical, political, and strategic level, the two orders directed at the thug fund may provide Trump an off-ramp from a disastrous political mistake. Republican members of Congress have expressed strong opposition to the settlement agreement and the slush fund.

The adverse rulings against the fund on Friday may provide Trump an opportunity to back away over time without conceding defeat. In other words, the temporary rulings on Friday may spell the permanent end of the thug fund. If not, Congress will likely kill it or significantly limit it.

With that background, let’s examine some of the notable aspects of the rulings.

Judge Kathleen Williams re-opens Trump’s case against IRS, citing possible “fraud on the court.”

Trump filed a baseless and time-barred lawsuit against the IRS claiming $100 billion in damages because an IRS contractor leaked portions of his tax returns. That lawsuit was on the verge of being dismissed for lack of adversity between Trump and the IRS. To avoid dismissal of his claims, Trump and the DOJ manufactured a fraudulent $1.8 billion settlement fund and granted Trump immunity from all past tax returns and taxes owed.

Typically, when a case is voluntarily dismissed, the dismissal divests the judge of jurisdiction over the case. But if the dismissal is fraudulent, a judge can set it aside to examine the circumstances surrounding the dismissal and settlement. See Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60, Relief from a Judgment or Order. (Recognizing inherent power of court to “set aside a judgment for fraud on the court.”) A court also has authority under FRCP 11 to reopen a closed matter to determine if the attorneys violated court rules or the law in their actions before the court.

A group of retired federal judges asked Judge Kathleen Williams to set aside the voluntary dismissal by Trump on grounds of fraud and deception. Judge Williams has set a hearing on whether she should grant the motion to re-open the case. See Trump v. US, ORDER date May 29, 2026.

The order said in part,

Accordingly, [Trump] shall file a response to the Motion (DE 63) on or before June 12, 2026, detailing their position on . . . (1) the charges of collusion and whether the Parties are truly adverse; (2) the assertion that the dismissal in this case was premised on deception by the Parties; and (3) the question of whether the case should be reopened because the Court was the “victim of a fraud.”

Trump has no good answer to any of the questions posed by Judge Williams’ order. Trump’s best move is to accede to the re-opening the case, and then file a clean dismissal that does not include a settlement with the IRS.

Any other course will likely subject the DOJ attorneys (or Trump’s attorneys) to discipline, including disbarment. It is beyond dispute that Trump, the DOJ, and the IRS attempted to defraud Judge Williams. The sooner Trump and his attorneys walk away, the fewer people who will be sanctioned and ordered to pay fines to the court.

But . . . Trump rarely surrenders. So, if he contests Judge Williams’ order, tens of millions of Americans will become experts in the operation of Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 11 and 60, and will rightly conclude that Trump attempted to defraud the court.

The IRS, DOJ, and Treasury agreed to give away $1.8 billion of US taxpayer money to settle a case that was worth $0.00. And the release of Trump’s past liability for tax returns and taxes owed was likewise given for no consideration.

I think there is a high likelihood that Todd Blanche will eventually lose his law license over this case. The settlement was corrupt and fraudulent.

Judge Brinkema’s order

Judge Brinkema issued an order that said, in part, that Defendants are

ENJOINED from taking any further action pursuant to the creation or operation of the Anti-Weaponization Fund, which includes the transferring of money to the Fund; the consideration of any claims submitted to the Fund; and the disbursing of any funds from the Fund . . . .

Judge Brinkema went to great lengths to ensure that the government did nothing to create the fund or make payouts because the government was unwilling to agree that payouts would be suspended until at least June 19! In other words, it appears that Trump was moving ahead at breakneck speed to begin payments from the fund.

The complaint in the case before Judge Brinkema alleges a violation of the Administrative Procedures Act in the establishment of the thug fund. The jurisprudence under the APA is vast and complex, so it is premature to say whether the plaintiffs’ claims against the fund will be successful. But the claims are not frivolous, and will slow the creation and disbursement of the thug fund until Congress can stop it.

Federal judge orders removal of Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center.

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., ordered Trump to remove his name from the Kennedy Center and ordered the center’s Board of Trustees to reopen the facility during repairs. See CBS News, Judge blocks closure of Kennedy Center and orders removal of Trump’s name.

Judge Christopher Cooper wrote, in part,

The Kennedy Center’s organic statute makes crystal clear that the Center is to be named for President Kennedy, and it cannot bear any other formal name or public memorial based on the Board’s unilateral say-so. Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it.

Crybaby Trump responded on Truth Social by saying that if he can’t do what he wants with the Kennedy Center, he will “give it” to Congress. Per CBS,

Mr. Trump reacted by appearing to cede control of the Kennedy Center, saying on Truth Social he now wants Congress to take responsibility for its operation “unless I am free to do what I do better than anyone else.”

Judge Cooper harshly criticized the Center’s board of trustees (which includes, among dozens of others Susie Wiles, Usha Vance, Marco Rubio, Pam Bondi, and Donald Trump), saying

The Board was derelict in discharging the full range of its responsibilities to the Center.

More specifically, the Board based its decision on an insufficient, one-sided presentation of information and neglected to consider the full range of its statutory obligations and potential adverse consequences of closure on programming and memorial functions . . . .

So, it appears that the Kennedy Center may be on its way back to its former self—assuming Trump has lost interest because his name is no longer on the wall above President Kennedy’s name.

Pam Bondi points the finger at Todd Blanche and Kash Patel in Epstein investigation

Speaking of Todd Blanche’s likely disbarment, former Attorney General Pam Bondi pointed her finger at Todd Blanche when the House Oversight Committee asked her about the mismanagement of the Epstein files production. See Politico, Bondi shifts responsibility for Epstein files’ release to Todd Blanche, making him Democrats’ next target.

Pentagon is recruiting troops to watch the White House cage match

Trump’s plan to celebrate his birthd. . . er, I mean, the 250^th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is running into stiff resistance. Dozens of entertainers promoted as part of the event have withdrawn, saying either they never agreed to participate, or they were misled about the nature of the celebration. NBC News, Artists bail on D.C. bash for America’s 250th birthday after being listed on the lineup.

Trump may be having difficulty in filling seats to the UFC cage match on the White House lawn on June 14^th. Per an Air Force memo, the Pentagon is soliciting members of the US military to attend the cage match, at their own expense. See Pentagon recruiting troops to watch White House UFC fights, memos show - The Washington Post

Trump is so toxic that people do not want to be involved in events that might be construed as celebrating his birthday! Pathetic.

The lack of an announcement on Iran peace negotiations

Trump is supposedly considering approving a memorandum of understanding to end the Iran war. Although administration sources have been signaling that the agreement would be approved at any moment, Trump is delaying. Why? The terms purportedly involve unfreezing $12 billion in Iranian assets held by third-party countries and a $300 billion investment fund to rebuild Iran. See Times of Israel, Emerging US-Iran MoU said to reference possible $300B postwar ‘investment fund’ to aid Tehran’s reconstruction, and Iran International, Iran demands access to $12B in Qatar funds as precondition for US MoU.

Trump and most GOP members of Congress harshly criticized President Obama for releasing less than $1.7 billion in frozen Iranian assets as part of the JCPOA nuclear deal. Giving Iran 300 times the funds provided by President Obama under the JCPOA will be a major blow to Trump’s ego and his ability to claim that he negotiated a better deal than Obama.

More importantly, the MOU is an agreement to engage in future negotiations regarding Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile. An “agreement to negotiate” about something is not an agreement; it is a fig leaf.

To say Trump is “considering” agreeing to the MOU is simply code for “Can Trump accept defeat?” As the price of ending his damaging war in Iran. There is no easy way out for Trump. He blundered his way into the war without consulting Congress and now cannot find a path to the illusion of victory.

Concluding Thoughts

Trump is losing on multiple fronts: the economy, the Iran war, the thug fund, the Billion Dollar Ballroom, National Mall renovations, mass deportations, voter suppression, and corruption. The American people are turning against him at a historic margin. But Trump will not reverse course. He will continue the same policies and self-destructive behavior that has gotten him into this mess.

Our job is to remind the American people of all the ways that Trump has broken his promises, betrayed the American people, and engaged in blatant self-dealing. To date, the grassroots resistance has done an excellent job of reminding the American people of Trump’s corruption and lawlessness. We need to keep up the good work. If we can do that, we will prevail. It is just a matter of time.

Talk to you tomorrow at 9 a.m. Pacific / Noon Eastern.

Pro-democracy protest photos

Send to rbhubbell@gmail.com. Please include city and state.

May 29, 2026 - Vancouver, WA Protest Pics

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Another loud and colorful Face Down Fascism demo in Berkeley this afternoon. Every Friday from 5-6. We are a solid team.

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Eugene, Oregon. We are out there every Monday and Friday at rush hour, with oldies but goodies, like IMMIGRANTS MAKE 🇺🇸 GREAT, PEACE, or NEVER AGAIN IS NOW.

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The North Fork Valley Indivisibles have been protesting every Friday afternoon since January in Hotchkiss, CO. Even in this very red county we always get lots of honks and thumbs up.

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Today, Gorman Road here in Howard County (Maryland) worked out very well, with fine weather, and a gathering of 50 enthusiastic participants. Yes, we reached "the usual" 24,000 vehicles/drivers below on I-95 (combind northbound and southbound).

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A group of dedicated Bluegrass Peaceful Resistance protestors doing what they call “happy hour” this week and every week. Lexington, KY.

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Shelburne, Vermont May 23rd.

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he message was well received today! There were a lot more honks and waves than we have heard in the last few weeks. (One member said it was her  “trucks, blow your horn!” arm at work! 😁) 

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The Visibility Brigade of Paramus New Jersey 

May 29th 2026

Lots of positive feedback!!

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Our twice-weekly protest in downtown Prescott, AZ.

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Key Biscayne, FL

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Our visibility group protesting in New London, NH. We’ve been on the corner of Main and Pleasant Streets since September

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Georgia Ave and Forest Glen Rd, Silver Spring, MD. We meet at 4-6 pm Friday afternoons for over a year. 22 today on 3 corners. Lots of waves and honks

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Protesters have gathered every Friday afternoon since October outside Hanscom Field in the suburbs of Boston to protest the use of the airport for deportation flights. 

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Anchorage, Alaska. May 29, 2026. Our message for each direction of the Glenn Highway, and my view of the Chugach Mountains this morning.  

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Today in Belfast, Maine (ME) Susan Collins got her photo op at the opening of a Dental Clinic. She’s always eager to show how she helps Mainers. Meanwhile her support of Trump and GOP slashes millions and she throws us crumbs, or in this case, toothbrushes. 

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Here are two photos taken yesterday 5/28/26 in Santa Fe County, NM on the La Cienega Overpass on a windy day south of Santa Fe.

We had lots of horn honks, including from semi-trucks and vans with ladders on top heading south from Santa Fe.

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Lafayette, CO

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Every Friday 8-9, Venice Florida Democratic Club Bridge Brigade 

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South Boulder County VB, Louisville/Superior CO

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Allentown Visibility Brigade, a part of Visibility Brigade.  Our weekly gatherings over I-78, in Allentown, PA provide us all with a sense of hope. 

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We Believe Visibility Brigade in Park City, UT.  Our message was: $4+ GAS!  THANKS TRUMP!

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210 Freeway in LaVerne, CA ,  LOTS of honking and waving!

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May 28: More than 40 folks gathered for Hopewell, NJ’s weekly protest, (every Thursday, 5:30-6:30). Lots of honks but only one middle finger from commuters coming down Broad St.

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