President Donald Trump's sweeping assertions of executive power during his first weeks back in office appear headed toward U.S. Supreme Court showdowns, but it remains an open question whether or how much the justices might act to check his authority.

While it was once rare for an administration to change its position in cases before the high court, Trump did so in his first term and has signaled he will do it again.

President Donald Trump’s administration is switching positions in a major Supreme Court case on transgender rights, backing away from the Biden administration’s opposition to Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors.

President Donald Trump's administration told the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday that Tennessee's Republican-backed ban on gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors is not unlawful, reversing the position taken by the government under his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden.

An administration lawyer said a Tennessee law barring some medical treatments for transgender youths is constitutional and urged the justices to say so.

While it was once rare for an administration to change its position in cases before the high court, Trump did so in his first term and has signaled he will do it again.

The Supreme Court building is seen on June 28, 2024, in Washington. Mark Schiefelbein/AP In a setback for the Trump administration, the Supreme Court has rejected requests to freeze proceedings in a set of pending cases,