Judge Rules Trump Administration's AI-Driven Humanities Grant Cuts Unconstitutional

U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon ruled on May 8, 2026, that the Trump administration's mass termination of over 1,400 National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grants was unlawful and unconstitutional. The terminations, occurring in April 2025, affected more than $100 million in congressionally appropriated funds. Judge McMahon found that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) engaged in blatant viewpoint discrimination, violating the First and Fifth Amendments by targeting grants based on race, ethnicity, religion, sex, and sexual orientation.

Evidence presented in court revealed that DOGE staffers used ChatGPT and keywords related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to identify projects for elimination without reviewing the scholarly substance of the applications. Projects focusing on Black civil rights, Holocaust education, and Native American history were specifically targeted. The judge rejected the government's attempt to attribute these decisions to the AI, stating the government cannot scapegoat ChatGPT to escape liability.

Plaintiffs, including the American Council of Learned Societies and the Authors Guild, hailed the decision as a victory for academic freedom. Conversely, the White House condemned the ruling as egregiously wrong, with spokesperson Davis Ingle claiming it seeks to reinstate wasteful spending. The court permanently barred the administration from enforcing the terminations and ordered the NEH to restore the grants, though the administration has signaled its intent to appeal.