Chief Justice John Roberts on Wednesday paused a court-imposed midnight deadline that would have required the Trump administration to release $2 billion in frozen foreign aid, a goal that the government has claimed it is unable to meet.

President Donald Trump is sworn in by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts during his inauguration ceremony as the 47th president in the Rotunda at the Capitol in Washington on Monday morning, Jan. 20, 2025. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times)

Chief Justice John Roberts helped President Donald Trump’s administration avoid paying nearly $2 billion in congressionally appropriated foreign aid funds — for now.