President Donald Trump departs after speaking at an event for NCAA national champions in the State Dining Room of the White House, April 21, 2026, in Washington.
A federal judge is raising concerns about whether Donald Trump's attempt to sue the IRS for $10 billion can proceed, signaling she could throw out the case because the president oversees the government entities he is suing.
Judge Kathleen Williams raised the issue in an order on Friday denying a request to delay the case amid possible settlement talks.
She noted that Trump and the defendants -- the Treasury Department and IRS -- may not be "sufficiently adverse" to one another for the case to proceed.
For the case to proceed, Trump's lawyers and the DOJ need to establish that the lawsuit is "a dispute between parties who face each other in an adversary proceeding.".
She added that Trump has signed multiple executive orders tightening the president's control over the executive agencies like the Department of Justice.
The Department of Justice had not yet responded to the lawsuit and faced an impending deadline this month. »