While Hawaii pats itself on the back for halting President Trump’s executive order through a court injunction, the broader issue remains conveniently ignored: America’s bloated and redundant bureaucracy. The order targeted the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), and Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS)—agencies that, while well-meaning on paper, often duplicate functions served more efficiently by state programs or the private sector.

Let’s be honest: America is $35 trillion in debt. At what point does common sense override nostalgia? Libraries and museums are critical to our cultural fabric, yes—but is the federal government the only entity capable of supporting them? Hawaii received $1.5 million from IMLS last year. Great. But could Hawaii’s own $18 billion annual budget not find room for these priorities without a lawsuit?

Trump’s move was not “dismantling democracy,” as some breathlessly claim. It was about reining in federal sprawl and restoring spending decisions to elected officials closest to the people—state lawmakers—not distant federal agencies with six-figure salaries, endless grants, and little accountability.

And don’t get me started on the MBDA. The idea that the federal government should pick winners and losers based on race under the guise of “minority business development” belongs in the 1970s. We should be empowering all small businesses with lower taxes and fewer regulations—not fueling race-based economic favoritism with taxpayer dollars.

Finally, FMCS? When did union contract mediation become a federal crisis? This is a classic example of government inventing a role for itself to justify its own expansion. If Kapi‘olani Medical Center and a local union need a mediator, Hawaii’s robust legal system is more than capable.

In short, Hawaii’s legal challenge reflects a deeper problem: an addiction to federal money with no concern for where it comes from or what it costs future generations. Trump’s order was a necessary step toward a leaner, more accountable government—something Hawaii’s leadership seems allergic to.