Can Trump Cut Off Blue States? Federal Funding as a Political Weapon

On January 6, 2026, the Trump administration froze $10 billion in federal funds to five blue states – California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, and New York – citing “child care fraud.”
Three days later, a federal judge, Arun Subramanian, blocked the freeze. So the real question is simple:
Can a president legally cut off funding to states – or is Congress the only branch that controls the purse?
In this episode of O’Connor’s Right Stand, John O’Connor breaks down:
• What actually happened in the January 6 funding freeze
• Why the Constitution gives spending power to Congress (Article I)
• When presidents can enforce conditions – and when they are inventing new ones
• How Obama’s Medicaid threat (2012), Trump’s sanctuary city order (2017), and Biden’s vax mandate (2021) set the stage for this fight
• Why Trump’s current move is more extreme – collective punishment, no due process, and only blue states targeted
• The conservative dilemma: the powers we cheer today will be used against us tomorrow
• Five principles conservatives should demand before any president cuts off state money
This isn’t about defending blue states. It’s about defending the Constitution – and making sure future progressive presidents can’t weaponize federal funding against red states.
Stay to the end for my prediction on how the courts – and especially the Ninth Circuit – are likely to rule.

TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - Trump Federal Funding Freeze Explained
01:33 - January 6 2026 Timeline: What Really Happened
03:25 - Constitutional Law: Congress Power of the Purse
04:50 - How Federal Grants Work | Civics Explained
06:47 - Future Democrat President Warning for Conservatives
07:46 - Obama Medicaid Expansion Supreme Court Case
09:06 - Trump Sanctuary Cities Executive Order 2017
10:34 - Biden COVID Mandate Supreme Court Decision Analysis
12:31 - Why Trump's 2026 Funding Freeze Is Different
13:58 - Political Targeting: Blue States Only | Constitutional Crisis
15:53 - Legal Analysis: Where Is Congressional Authorization?
17:19 - Supreme Court Prediction: 9th Circuit Appeal
18:46 - Conservative Hypocrisy: Principle Over Party
19:39 - 5 Principles for Constitutional Conservatives
22:32 - Limited Government vs Executive Overreach
23:30 - Constitutional Republic or Tyranny? You Decide