North Carolina’s attorney general has sued the Trump administration 25 times and Republicans want limits

Twenty-five lawsuits raise the stakes

North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson has joined or filed 25 lawsuits against the Trump administration since taking office. Republicans want to narrow that power before challenges reach court.

The fight matters because cases involve education, disaster relief, health care, food assistance, and tariffs. It also tests who decides when North Carolina may challenge presidential authority.

Jackson claims 10 legal victories

Jackson’s office says it has won 10 of the 25 cases. Fourteen remain pending, while one lawsuit was dismissed.

Jackson argues his office sues when officials break the law, harm North Carolina and evidence can prove claims. He says the legal victories have protected $1.6 billion for the state, although that is his office’s calculation.

What Senate Bill 58 would prohibit

Senate Bill 58 would bar the attorney general from filing a case that could invalidate a presidential executive order. It would also bar the attorney general from advancing that argument in covered litigation.

The restriction covers participation as a party, friend of court, or other role. It applies in any state or federal court, creating a broad barrier to executive-order challenges filed after the measure takes effect.

The bill remains stalled in the House

The Senate passed Senate Bill 58 by a 29–19 vote on March 11, 2025. It reached the House two days later.

The House sent it to the Rules, Calendar and Operations Committee, where no floor vote has followed. As of August 2026, the proposal remains stalled, meaning Jackson’s current legal authority has not been changed.

Little-known fact: Jeff Jackson began his four-year term as attorney general on January 1, 2025. He won the 2024 election with 51.4% of the vote.

Republicans question Jackson’s motives

Republican supporters say Jackson uses lawsuits to pursue partisan policy through courts. They argue presidents need room to implement executive orders without repeated challenges from Democratic state officials.

A conservative expert told the Daily Tar Heel that legislators may view the cases as attempts to overturn political outcomes. Supporters describe the restriction as overdue oversight.

Critics warn North Carolina could lose

Opponents say the bill could stop North Carolina from defending federal money, jobs and programs. They argue the attorney general needs independence when presidential actions harm the state.

A North Carolina Central University law professor called the proposal broad and said constitutional objections are plausible. Any enacted restriction could trigger another lawsuit over government power.

Little-known fact: The North Carolina Justice Department handles approximately 10,000 active cases, meaning the Trump administration lawsuits represent a small part of its overall caseload.

FEMA grants offer a concrete example

One lawsuit challenged FEMA’s cancellation of $200 million in disaster-preparedness grants. The money was intended for local infrastructure and protection against flooding and storm damage.

A federal court ordered the program reinstated after granting summary judgment to Jackson’s side. The result gave supporters a clear example of litigation returning promised resources to North Carolina communities.

Education funding returned after court

Another case targeted more than $165 million in frozen federal education money. Nearly 1,000 educator jobs and school programs were affected.

The Education Department restored funding after Jackson and other attorneys general went to court. For families, the dispute concerned classrooms, after-school services and staff positions rather than an abstract fight between Raleigh and Washington.

Food assistance became a court fight

During the shutdown, the administration planned to freeze Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. Jackson joined litigation arguing contingency funds remained available.

North Carolina’s Justice Department says the dispute involved $230 million in food assistance for 1.4 million residents, including 600,000 children. Courts ordered payments, and states distributed full or partial benefits before the government reopened.

Health programs faced major losses

North Carolina universities faced the loss of more than $123 million in National Institutes of Health research funding. Jackson secured a permanent injunction affirmed on appeal.

A separate lawsuit temporarily blocked termination of more than $230 million for substance-abuse and mental-health programs. These cases show how federal litigation can directly affect researchers, clinics and patients.

Tariffs bring household costs to court

Jackson’s tariff lawsuit argues the president imposed import charges without congressional approval. His office estimates North Carolina paid nearly $3.5 billion in tariffs during the previous year.

He says tariffs could cost each household between $800 and $1,300 in 2026. The administration defends tariffs as an executive tool, leaving courts to decide the legal limits.

The legal campaign reaches nationwide

North Carolina is part of a wider campaign by Democratic attorneys general. Their association counted 127 lawsuits against the administration and victories in 66 of 81 rulings.

The White House points to more than 20 favorable Supreme Court decisions and calls many challenges frivolous. The competing numbers show why both parties frame court outcomes differently.

Are data centers placing too much pressure on North Carolina’s communities and resources? Take a closer look at why some areas are pausing new projects over power, water and noise concerns.

The limit would outlast Trump

Senate Bill 58 never names Donald Trump. Its restriction would apply to orders issued by any president and lawsuits brought by North Carolina attorneys general.

The provision would take effect when enacted and apply to actions filed afterward. Existing cases would not disappear, but the state’s response to later presidential orders could be sharply limited.

Could Texas offer North Carolina a better path for expanding wind and solar power? Take a closer look at how the Texas energy model is shaping the state’s debate.

Do you think North Carolina’s attorney general is protecting the state or overusing his power by repeatedly suing the Trump administration? Let us know in the comments.

This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.

Read More From This Brand:

• At 4,629 feet, North Carolina’s Max Patch trades boulders for rolling grass
• North Carolina’s Moore Cove Falls hides a 50-foot curtain you can walk behind
• The Eno River hides a rock face that shouldn’t exist this far east in North Carolina