From Truth Social to court: Groups challenging Trump get help from his posts

Politics From Truth Social to judicial decisions: Groups challenging Trump's actions get help from his posts By Melissa Quinn Melissa Quinn Senior Reporter, Politics Melissa Quinn is a senior reporter for CBSNews.com, where she covers U.S. politics, with a focus on the Supreme Court and federal courts. Read Full Bio Melissa Quinn May 5, 2026 / 6:00 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Washington — As Justice Department lawyers work to defend President Trump's second-term policies in scores of lawsuits, the president's proclivity for posting on social media is providing a trove of evidence for lawyers challenging his actions in court.In at least a dozen cases out of hundreds that have been filed, judges have pointed to social media posts from Mr. Trump or senior members of his administration in their rulings against the government on a range of issues.Some of the decisions came in First Amendment challenges stemming from actions the Trump administration has taken against law firms, news outlets and international students protesting against Israel. Others arose from attempts to withhold federal benefits and grants, fire scores of federal workers and end temporary deportation protections for immigrants from certain countries.In one ruling blocking subpoenas issued by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington, D.C., to the Federal Reserve, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg referenced more than 100 of Mr. Trump's social media posts that denounced Fed Chairman Jerome Powell and found that the justifications for the subpoenas were pretext."A mountain of evidence suggests that the dominant purpose is to harass Powell to pressure him to lower rates," Boasberg wrote of the subpoenas in his March decision. "For years, the President has publicly targeted Powell because the Fed is not delivering the low rates that Trump demands."Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney in Washington, announced last month that her office is dropping its probe into Powell and renovations of the...