A federal appeals court has handed former President Donald Trump a legal victory by allowing his executive order to take effect, which removes collective bargaining rights from employees at agencies like the State Department and USAID. The DC Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the president has broad authority, especially on national security matters, to exclude federal workers from union protections. This decision overturns a lower court’s injunction by Judge Paul Friedman, who had argued the courts could review such presidential decisions. The panel emphasized that when the president’s discretion is involved in core constitutional duties, courts have limited grounds for intervention. The ruling permits the executive order to proceed while legal challenges, including one by the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), continue.

AFSA, representing career diplomats, criticized the decision, calling it a setback to decades of work defending federal employee rights. The order, issued in March, targets multiple agencies Trump labeled as critical to national security, including the State Department, DOJ, and even the National Science Foundation. AFSA alleged political retaliation, noting the administration accused unions of waging war against Trump’s agenda. The White House defended the order as necessary for national security. The case follows another appellate court win for Trump in the Ninth Circuit, which allowed him to deploy the California National Guard in Los Angeles, overruling a judge who cited 10th Amendment violations. Trump praised the court’s decision, claiming military intervention prevented widespread destruction in the city.