Ninth Circuit upholds dismissal of Montana climate case against Trump energy orders

MONTANA — A federal appeals court upheld the dismissal of a climate lawsuit against President Trump, saying the plaintiffs did not have legal standing to bring the case.

The court filing showed the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana on June 2, 2026.

In Lighthiser v. Trump, the three-judge panel ruled that the 22 young plaintiffs could only speculate that President Trump's fossil fuel-boosting executive orders directly caused the climate-related injuries they alleged such as asthma and heat-related illness.

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen called the ruling a major outcome for the state.

“This is a huge win for Montana. My office was happy to step in and help the Trump Administration litigate this case. We couldn’t have asked for a better outcome, as now two courts have proven that we were right all along — this case was nothing more than an attempt to stop President Trump’s pro-energy policies and push a bad-for-Montana liberal climate agenda. The courts are not meant to advance political agendas, but uphold the law, which they did today,” Knudsen said.