But the spending freeze – along with other key moves early in this presidency, including the firing of Justice Department prosecutors and a bid to repeal birthright citizenship – also reflects Trump’s view that the presidency has almost unlimited power and he can simply decide what is legal and what isn’t.

UT said it doesn't know how pausing federal grants would affect research. U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett called it "an abuse of power."

A White House directive to pause federal grants and loans has raised uncertainty for many universities, states and nonprofit organizations

A federal judge put a temporary hold on the White House directive as Washington and 21 other states filed a lawsuit.