FILE PHOTO: U.S. Supreme Court justices pose for their group portrait at the Supreme Court in Washington, U.S., October 7, 2022. Seated (L-R): Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., Samuel A. Alito, Jr. and Elena Kagan. Standing (L-R): Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Neil M. Gorsuch, Brett M. Kavanaugh and Ketanji Brown Jackson. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo
CNN chief legal affairs correspondent Paula Reid reported Friday afternoon that President Donald Trump was handed his first “win” by the U.S. Supreme Court, and it “is significant.”
According to the High Court ruling, Trump can block $65 million in Department of Education grants that were earmarked to help states with teacher shortages.
“These grants were allegedly targeted because they contain some DEI initiatives,” said Reid, referring to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Trump has endeavored to eliminate DEI programs from the government.
“Now, I want to caveat while this is a win for the administration, it’s sort of a lowercase ‘w’ win because this is one of the lesser known challenges in this parade of cases that is heading to the Supreme Court related to things that Trump has done since he took office, there still outstanding questions about whether the Supreme Court will uphold his effort to do away with birthright citizenship or use war powers to facilitate deportations.”
Trump’s lawyers believe that if lower courts block the policies, the conservative supermajority on the Supreme Court will hand Trump a win, Reid continued.
“It’s unclear that will be true,” she added.
She also noted that Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the three liberal justices in the dissent.
