Civil rights groups clash with Trump administration after influencer video triggers funding freeze
US President Donald Trump gestures after speaking about election security during an address to the nation from the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, July 16, 2026.
Trump had attempted funding freeze earlier this year
Funding freeze attempts faced judicial roadblocks
Lawsuit seeks correspondence between government and right-wing influencer
Civil rights groups said they filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump's administration on Monday over the government's attempt to restrict federal childcare and family assistance funding.
The American Civil Liberties Union, the National Women's Law Center and the National Center for Law and Economic Justice said in the lawsuit against the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that they sought correspondence between federal officials and pro-Trump right-wing online influencer Nick Shirley.
