This is CBSI on the world. I'm John Batchel. I welcome my colleagues, Andrew McCarthy, the National Review Online.

That is, MacArthur, American greatness, to comment on two cases before the Trump administration.

One, also before the Supreme Court. The other, the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department.

We begin with this paragraph

from the editorial in the National Review Online in these last days. On February 13th, Judge Ali ruled

it, quote, arbitrary and capricious, end quote, to issue a, quote, blanket, end quote, funding

pause without examining every contract one at a time at USAID,

thus delaying the termination of contracts that the administration considers to be

against American foreign policy interests.

I stopped there.

Andy, who is Judge Ali and this order he issued on February 13th?

I understand he's amended it.

Good evening to you.

Good evening, John and Thaddeus.

Well, Judge Ali was appointed by President Biden in the waning hours of the Biden administration.

It was in the lame duck session after President Trump was elected. I believe it was in mid-December or so of 2024. He barely was confirmed,

50 to 49. One Republican senator didn't show up for work that day, so the Republicans lacked

the votes to block him, which they had done for a fairly

long time because he was a controversial nominee.

So he's a, his reputation is that he's a progressive

ideologue and he was touted in the Biden identity politics way as I believe the first Muslim judge to sit on the District of Columbia federal district court.

Why that's a qualification.

...