16 states blast Donald Trump with $2B lawsuits in a bizarre constitutional showdown

Sixteen states, the District of Columbia, and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro are taking the Trump administration to court, challenging the decision to freeze over $2 billion in funding earmarked for crucial electric vehicle infrastructure. This massive legal action, filed on Tuesday, marks the second time this year that states have been forced to sue the current administration over withheld funds intended to build out America’s EV charging network.

The money in question was previously approved by Congress during the administration of Joe Biden, specifically to strengthen the infrastructure needed to support the growing number of EVs on the road. Despite that Congressional approval, President Trump suspended the funding, calling the infrastructure programs “an incredible waste of taxpayer dollars.”

This move has understandably infuriated state officials who were relying on those investments to transition their communities to cleaner transportation, according to Daily Dot. Critics of the president’s action claim that he simply doesn’t have the authority to unilaterally cut off funds that were already authorized by a different, co-equal branch of government. The states’ lawsuit specifically alleges a gross overreach of executive power, which, frankly, sounds like a serious constitutional challenge that courts need to address immediately.

You can’t just walk back deals because you feel like it

The states are challenging the U.S. Department of Transportation over the funds, which are tied up in two specific EV programs. This is a huge deal for anyone interested in making long-distance EV travel easy, because without this money, the expansion of charging stations slows way down.

California Governor Gavin Newsom didn’t mince words when discussing the lawsuit. He stated that the states won’t stand for the administration’s actions. We’ve seen Elon Musk try to change laws to help this business, and seeing Trump do this out of nowhere is unfair to those states that were promised.

“The Trump Administration is unlawfully withholding funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — investments Congress approved to build America’s EV charging network, reduce pollution, and create thousands of good-paying jobs,” Governor Newsom said in a statement. “We won’t stand for it. California will defend the Constitution, our communities, and the future we’re building. With 2.4 million zero-emission vehicles on our roads and critical projects ready to move forward, we’re taking this to court.”

It’s important to remember that the states have been here before, and they’ve won. The current lawsuit addresses the $2 billion in funds from two programs, but earlier this year, a successful previous lawsuit forced the administration to release $5 billion that had been promised to states through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program. It’s wild that states have to sue twice in one year just to get money that Congress already approved, but it seems like this legal precedent is on their side.

While the courts deal with the complex issues of executive authority and the separation of powers, the public discussion has been, well, chaotic. Reactions on social media have been overwhelmingly dominated by users echoing President Trump’s argument that EV infrastructure is a waste of money. They’re ignoring the actual legal concerns at play here, which is the question of whether the president can simply veto funds established by Congress.

Frankly, focusing on the “waste of money” argument completely misses the point, and will likely be another wayTesla’s stock drops. Whether you love EVs or hate them, the core issue is the structure of our government. If the executive branch can simply stop any funding it disagrees with, regardless of Congressional approval, that’s a massive problem for the rule of law.