A Washington federal judge on Wednesday ruled that the Trump administration cannot ignore the Presidential Records Act, and held the law is likely constitutional. The order, from Judge John D. Bates of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, directed White House staff to comply with the law, which requires the preservation of […]
White House
Ruling comes after Justice Department memorandum finding the law unconstitutional
President Donald Trump speaks during a Small Business Summit in the East Room of the White House on May 4, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
Posted May 20, 2026 at 4:16pm
Presidential Records Act ruling: Can Donald Trump ignore the Presidential Records Act? Judge says the White House must follow the law
Judge orders White House staff to comply with presidential records law that DOJ calls unconstitutional
US Judge Orders Trump White House to Comply With Presidential Records Act
Judge halts White House’s rollback of presidential records-retention policies | CNN Politics
Judge Grants Emergency Order to Block Trump From Destroying Records
A New Low? Presidential Records and the Role of OLC
A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to comply with the Presidential Records Act, rejecting a Justice Department…
A federal judge ordered White House staff and President Trump's top advisers to comply with a law that requires certain…
US federal judge has ordered White House staff under President Donald Trump to continue complying with the Presidential Records…
A federal judge said Wednesday that White House staff must preserve their official records, including communications that they…
A federal judge has ruled that Trump can’t violate the Presidential Records Act just because he feels like it.
"As of this moment, the Administration believes that the President is legally free to destroy records of his official government…
