Judge Finds Trump’s energy-grant cuts violated equal protection by targeting blue states

US District Judge Amit Mehta ruled that the Trump administration violated the Fifth Amendment by cancelling about 315 energy grants totaling roughly $7.5 billion to projects in blue states that did not vote for him, noting the decisions were based on political affiliation with no rational link to energy goals. Seven awardees sued, and the court reinstated seven grants totaling $27.6 million, while First Amendment claims were not upheld; many other awardees remained unaffected by the ruling.