Trump-Appointed Judge Dismisses Lawsuits Challenging President Trump’s Dismantling of USAID

A federal judge on Friday threw out a lawsuit brought by four organizations attempting to block President Trump’s dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, appointed by President Trump, dismissed the case citing a lack of jurisdiction.

“The Court ultimately cannot reach the merits of any plaintiff’s allegations, however, because it concludes that it lacks jurisdiction over the claims of AFSA, AFGE, and Oxfam (which have moved for summary judgment after the Court denied their earlier motion for a preliminary injunction), and that it likely lacks jurisdiction over the claims of the PSCA (which has moved for a preliminary injunction). The Court will accordingly grant the government’s motion to dismiss the AFSA case and will deny the PSCA’s motion for a preliminary injunction,” the judge wrote.

Earlier this month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that USAID has officially ceased operations and is no longer distributing funds to foreign countries.

“Beyond creating a globe-spanning NGO industrial complex at taxpayer expense, USAID has little to show since the end of the Cold War. Development objectives have rarely been met, instability has often worsened, and anti-American sentiment has only grown,” Rubio wrote in a blog post, according to Fox News.

“This era of government-sanctioned inefficiency has officially come to an end. Under the Trump Administration, we will finally have a foreign funding mission in America that prioritizes our national interests. As of July 1st, USAID will officially cease to implement foreign assistance. Foreign assistance programs that align with administration policies—and which advance American interests—will be administered by the State Department, where they will be delivered with more accountability, strategy, and efficiency,” Rubio added.

The legal dispute followed the administration’s decision to dismantle USAID earlier this year. At one point, a Biden-appointed judge had ordered the Trump Administration to fulfill billions in foreign aid contracts.

Rubio, after taking charge, moved quietly to shut down what he described as widespread corruption and fraud within the agency.

In reaction, CNN sounded the alarm over the closure, reporting that it “could contribute to some 14 MILLION DEATHS in the next five years!”

ABSURD: CNN reports that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced the OFFICIAL dismantling of USAID.

Their first reaction?

🚨ABSURD: CNN reports that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced the OFFICIAL dismantling of USAID.

Their first reaction?

"Its closure could contribute to some 14 MILLION DEATHS in the next five years!" pic.twitter.com/1Mr9qPRu4z

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 1, 2025