Supreme Court rules Trump admin can cut nearly $800 million in health research funding

The court was split 5-4 in the ruling, with Chief Justice John Roberts among the judges siding with the court's three liberal justices. The NIH began canceling grants in March that it claimed were spent on projects like studies on transgender healthcare, vaccine hesitancy, and diversity research

By Misty Severi

Published: August 21, 2025 5:07pm

Updated: August 21, 2025 6:09pm

The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the Trump administration can slash $783 million in grants for health research with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), reversing a lower court ruling on the matter.

The court was split 5-4 in the ruling, with Chief Justice John Roberts siding with the court's three liberal justices, per the Associated Press.

The NIH began canceling grants in March that it claimed were spent on projects like studies on transgender healthcare, vaccine hesitancy, and diversity research, arguing the grants no longer aligned with the agency's priorities under President Donald Trump.

U.S. District Judge William Young ruled in June that the funding cuts, which were part of the Trump administration's efforts to defund diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, were racially discriminatory.

“I’ve never seen government racial discrimination like this,” Young said in a hearing at the time.

The Supreme Court ruling is the latest legal victory for the Trump administration. The Supreme Court also recently allowed the administration to move forward with its mass layoffs, determining that the government was likely to succeed in its arguments.

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