Federal Judge Rules Against Trump Administration’s Humanities Grant Cuts
A federal court in New York has deemed the Trump administration’s decision to cancel over $100 million in humanities grants unconstitutional. The ruling was issued by U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon, who found the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) lacked the authority to withdraw funding from scholars, writers, and research entities.
Judge McMahon’s decision came in favor of The Authors Guild, among other plaintiffs, who challenged the legality of the government’s actions after their grants were revoked. The lawsuit targeted both DOGE and the National Endowment for the Humanities, with the judge permanently enjoining the administration from ending the grants. McMahon also criticized the use of artificial intelligence in the decision-making process for canceling the grants.
The government’s defense argued the cuts were a lawful execution of President Donald Trump’s directives aimed at reducing discretionary spending and eliminating grants related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). However, the judge countered this by stating the move violated both the First Amendment and the Fifth Amendment’s equal protection rights, labeling it as “a textbook example of unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination.”
In her ruling, McMahon emphasized the importance of federal officials operating within the boundaries established by Congress and the Constitution, stating, “The public interest favors permanent relief.”
The decision was welcomed by groups such as the American Council of Learned Societies and the Modern Language Association. Sarah Weicksel, executive director of the American Historical Association, remarked, “This ruling is an important achievement in our effort to restore the NEH’s ability to fulfill the vital mission with which Congress charged it.”
Yinka Ezekiel Onayemi, representing the Authors Guild, described the grant cancellations as “a direct assault on constitutional free speech and equal protection.” Onayemi expressed satisfaction with the court’s ruling, which he said reaffirmed Congress’s longstanding commitment to the humanities.
The judge noted the administration’s reliance on ChatGPT to classify and cut DEI-related projects. One noted instance involved an anthology titled “In the Shadow of the Holocaust: Short Fiction by Jewish Writers from the Soviet Union.” McMahon rejected the argument that the AI’s role excused the government’s actions, writing, “ChatGPT was the Government’s chosen instrument for purposes of this project, and DOGE’s use of AI…neither excuses presumptively unconstitutional conduct nor gives the Government carte blanche to engage in it.”
The grant cancellations were initially announced in April 2025, following executive orders from Trump aimed at ending DEI programs and promoting cost efficiency. Michael McDonald, the acting chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities at the time, informed recipients of the cancellations, citing a shift in funding allocations to align with the President’s agenda.
The majority of the canceled grants were awarded during the Biden administration, with only about 40 of those grants remaining unaffected. McMahon stressed that while a new administration may pursue different funding priorities, it cannot suppress disfavored ideas through funding decisions.
Earlier, in a temporary block of the cancellations, McMahon highlighted that the terminations were based on recipients’ perceived viewpoints, aiming to exclude those views from the marketplace of ideas.
