Even just 24 hours of Trump’s proposed funding freeze was enough to wreak havoc on our climate and communities . Medicaid portals were shut down. Meals on Wheels deliveries for the hungry, elderly, and infirm were suspended. Governors reported that schools couldn’t access Head Start reimbursements, threatening paychecks to teachers. Programs that serve Homeless veterans and victims of domestic violence were all forced to close or re-evaluate their work.

This not to mention the pause on federal permits for renewable energy which were announced earlier this week, and are not covered by the judge’s order re-instating normal federal spending. As our friend and the House’s fiercest climate hawk, Rep Sean Casten, said at the time: “The oil industry wants subsidies and bans on new wind/solar/EV charging construction because they cannot make money without those distortions. Trump gives it to them because he only knows how to make $ through grift. They are a match made in heaven, sending us all to hell.”

Amidst all the chaos, confusion, and real-world damages, it’s important to remember that Trump’s actions are illegal. But Trump has already broken the law and gotten away with it many, many times. It’s basically what got him elected a second time.