Trump likely to face further blocks to firing key official

A federal judge is considering extending a temporary restraining order that has kept Hampton Dellinger, the head of the Office of Special Counsel, in his position after President Donald Trump attempted to terminate him earlier this month. U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson described the situation as “an extraordinarily difficult constitutional issue” during a hearing on Wednesday. She indicated that she would take the matter under advisement and must act by Wednesday evening to extend the order.

The dispute over Dellinger marks the first legal challenge to reach the Supreme Court following several firings under the Trump administration. Dellinger filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration in federal court in Washington, D.C., after he was fired on February 7th. He argued that he can only be dismissed from his position for job performance issues, which were not cited in the email notifying him of his termination.

Liberal Supreme Court justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson voted against the administration’s request to approve the firing, while conservative justices Neil Gorsuch and Samuel Alito dissented. They raised concerns about whether the courts have the authority to reinstate an official who has been fired by the president.

In response to the legal challenges facing the Trump administration, House Democrats have organized a rapid response task force and litigation group to combat the president’s agenda. Since Trump’s second term began, numerous executive orders and directives have been met with legal challenges in federal court.

Dozens of lawsuits have been filed since January 20th over various administration actions, including the president’s birthright citizenship order, immigration policies, federal funding freezes, federal employee buyouts, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, and legal action against FBI and DOJ employees.

Hampton Dellinger expressed gratitude for the judges and justices who have allowed him to continue his work as an independent government watchdog and whistleblower advocate while the courts determine whether his office can maintain independence from partisan and political control.

For more national politics and breaking news coverage, you can follow reporter Anders Hagstrom on Twitter at @Hagstrom_Anders or reach out via email at Anders.Hagstrom@Fox.com.