Two major law firms faced judges Wednesday to ask for decisive relief from President Trump’s executive orders aimed at undercutting their business as retribution for representing his political adversaries.

The firms, Perkins Coie and WilmerHale, say Trump’s orders “addressing risks” they purportedly pose to the country are unlawful and spell disaster for their ability to perform legal work involving the government.

They’re among a small handful of Big Law firms fighting back against Trump’s pointed attacks on the legal industry, especially focused on those who have represented Democratic interests or are associated with attorneys the president believes are against him.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is facing growing backlash in his state over allegations involving an organization linked to his wife.

The controversy concerns a $10 million payment to the Hope Florida Foundation, which is tied to first lady Casey DeSantis’s welfare assistance program Hope Florida and has led to criticism from some state House Republicans. Critics argue this money was inappropriately used to help campaign against a ballot measure that would have legalized recreational marijuana in the state last November.

That money, critics say, was part of a settlement agreement involving the state’s largest Medicaid contractor, Centene. According to them, a chunk of that settlement, all of which was intended to be returned to state and federal coffers, was sent to the Hope Florida Foundation and eventually ended up in the hands of political groups that campaigned against the ballot measure, which Gov. DeSantis was also opposed to.

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The poll surveying 1,625 U.S. adults from April 19-22 found 41% of respondents approved of Trump's job, compared to 54% who disapproved. That's down from the -10 net approval rating found in the prior week's poll by The Economist/YouGov.

Trump started off his term with higher approval ratings than those he received in his first term. But his approval ratings in April 2017 (first term) and April 2025 (second term) are the two lowest approval marks among any newly-elected president since 1953, historical data from Gallup shows.

 

President Joe Biden's approval ratings at this point in his presidency were positive by 11 percentage points, according to YouGov.

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he would soon be spending less time with the Trump administration after first-quarter earnings fell short of expectations.

Net income for the quarter was down 71% after a decline in vehicle deliveries, with Tesla battling growing competition from foreign brands, shifting trade policies and growing backlash to the brand after Musk aligned himself with the Trump administration.

"There are some challenges, and I expect that this year will be, there will probably be some unexpected bumps this year," Musk said during a Tuesday earnings call. "But I remain extremely optimistic about the future of the company."

The slump comes as Tesla, along with other automakers, adjust to auto tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. In a Tuesday financial report, Tesla said “rapidly evolving trade policy” has impacted the global supply chain and the company’s cost structure.

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