The Supreme Court handed President Donald J. Trump another pivotal legal victory on Tuesday, authorizing his administration to move forward with a bold initiative to slash the size of the federal bureaucracy and eliminate wasteful government bloat through mass agency layoffs.

In a decisive unsigned order, the high court lifted a lower court’s freeze on Trump’s February 13 executive order, which directed federal agencies to prepare for “large-scale reductions in force.” That injunction had come from Judge Susan Illston, a Clinton appointee in Northern California, who ruled against the president’s authority before any concrete reorganization plans had even been reviewed.

The justices rejected her reasoning, siding with the Trump administration’s view that the executive order was well within constitutional bounds.

“Because the Government is likely to succeed on its argument that the Executive Order and Memorandum are lawful — and because the other factors bearing on whether to grant a stay are satisfied — we grant the application,” the Court wrote.

In a telling sign of how sound the legal footing is, even liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor joined the majority, clarifying that the specific agency plans weren’t before the court, and therefore it was premature to block the order.

“The plans themselves are not before this Court, at this stage,” she stated. “I join the Court’s stay because it leaves the District Court free to consider those questions in the first instance.”

The sole dissenter was Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who lashed out at the ruling, predicting “mass employee terminations” and accusing Trump of attempting to dismantle the federal government without congressional input.

“Congress has the power to establish administrative agencies and detail their functions,” she wrote, insisting Trump needed approval before making structural cuts.

But the majority clearly disagreed—and so does the U.S. Constitution. The Court found the Trump administration’s actions to be within executive authority, reinforcing the president’s constitutional role as chief administrator of the federal government.

The effort is part of a sweeping initiative by the Department of Government Efficiency—previously spearheaded by Elon Musk—to drain the swamp and restore lean, accountable governance in Washington. Targeted reductions are expected across numerous bloated agencies, including the Departments of Energy, Labor, Interior, Treasury, and the EPA.

Attorney General Pam Bondi celebrated the ruling, posting on X:

“Today, the Supreme Court stopped lawless lower courts from restricting President Trump’s authority over federal personnel — another Supreme Court victory thanks to [Justice Department] attorneys.”

“Now, federal agencies can become more efficient than ever before,” she added.

This latest decision caps off a historic winning streak for President Trump at the Supreme Court, whose originalist majority continues to reaffirm the Constitution and rein in overreaching lower courts.

Just last month, the Court announced it would take up National Republican Senatorial Committee v. FEC, a monumental First Amendment case that could end decades-old restrictions on how much money political parties can spend on behalf of candidates.

The challenge, brought by the NRSC, NRCC, and key Senate candidates including now-Vice President JD Vance, argues that limits imposed by the 1971 Federal Election Campaign Act are a violation of political free speech.

“The spending limitations severely restrict political party committees from doing what the First Amendment entitles them to do: fully associate with and advocate for their candidates,” petitioners argued.

With 2024 campaign spending already topping $2 billion, the Court’s conservative 6-3 majority may finally dismantle the bureaucratic barriers to free political expression, opening the door for robust grassroots support and stronger party-candidate cooperation.

In both cases, the Supreme Court is doing what lower courts have refused to: uphold constitutional principles and respect the rightful authority of a duly elected president.