Story perspectives

Judge Says Trump’s NEH Grant Cuts Violate First Amendment

5/15/2026

Summary

Story summary

Judge Colleen McMahon ruled the U.S. President Donald Trump’s cancellation of over 1,400 National Endowment for the Humanities grants illegal.
Two young officials used a spreadsheet and a ChatGPT filter to flag grants with terms like BIPOC, Indigenous, or gender-related language.
McMahon said the cancellations breached the First Amendment and equal-protection guarantees, kept Western European projects, and dropped those on Black, women, Jewish, Asian American, or Indigenous topics.

History

Historical Context

In 1995 Congress cut $5.5 million from the National Endowment for the Arts after the NEA Four—Karen Finley, Tim Miller, John Fleck and Holly Hughes—had $75,000 grants withdrawn, sparking a First-Amendment battle. The 2024 decision by Judge Colleen McMahon that President Trump’s 2023 cancellation of 1,400 NEH grants violated the Constitution echoes that earlier clash over federal control of cultural funding.

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Story summary

Judge Colleen McMahon ruled the U.S. President Donald Trump’s cancellation of over 1,400 National Endowment for the Humanities grants illegal.
Two young officials used a spreadsheet and a ChatGPT filter to flag grants with terms like BIPOC, Indigenous, or gender-related language.
McMahon said the cancellations breached the First Amendment and equal-protection guarantees, kept Western European projects, and dropped those on Black, women, Jewish, Asian American, or Indigenous topics.

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