The order that froze trillions of dollars of federal grants and loans was published without vetting by key officials in the White House.

The withdrawal of the federal freeze was a stunning about-face for President Donald Trump’s White House, which has so far pushed the envelope to reshape the federal government, sowing chaos and confusion in firing career civil servants, pausing foreign aid programs and offering federal workers a buyout.

A federal judge temporarily halted President Donald Trump's move to freeze all federal grants pending an analysis to root out "wokeness" in federal spending. But confusion reigned Tuesday in Chicago and beyond as leaders braced for serious potential cuts to an array of major programs.

Democrats are taking credit for ginning up a public reaction to a funding “pause.” But this is just the first of many battles.

The Trump administration’s plan to implement a sweeping freeze of federal aid sparked immediate confusion, uncertainty and downright panic among nonprofits, local governments and other groups, many of which provide aid and services to some of the most at-need residents in Southern California.

That fight could become a constitutional clash over control of taxpayer money and expansion of executive power before the Supreme Court.

Trump issued federal funding freeze then rescinded it. Opposition says a freeze would risk serious damage to healthcare, education and public safety.