A federal judge on Wednesday reaffirmed his temporary restraining order against the Trump administration's efforts to freeze billions of dollars in federal grants and loans, but clarified that President Donald Trump does have the authority to pause federal spending if it complies with existing regulations.

Judge John J. McConnell Jr. previously ruled that the White House defied his recent court order to unfreeze the billions of dollars in aid, which stems from funds that were expected to be paused by the Office of Management and Budget. 

The Trump administration appealed McConnell's earlier decision on Monday, but a federal appeals court declined to hear the case and urged McConnell to clarify his order quickly to avoid any further confusion. 

McConnell on Wednesday stated that the federal government, including the president, does still have the right to pause federal spending, but has to do so in accordance with preexisting laws, the Washington Examiner reported.

“The [court’s previous order] does not bar both the President and much of the Federal Government from exercising their own lawful authorities to withhold funding,” McConnell wrote.

The judge also emphasized that the federal government does not need the court's permission to halt spending if it's clearly within existing guidelines. 

"The [restraining order] nor the Court’s subsequent Order require the Defendants to seek ‘preclearance’ from the Court before acting to terminate funding when that decision is based on actual authority in the applicable statutory, regulatory, or grant terms," McConnell added.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.