The week did end with a win for the administration. The D.C. appeals court temporarily paused two lower court rulings that had reinstated Cathy Harris to the Merit Systems Protection Board and Gwynne Wilcox to the National Labor Relations Board. Trump had directed that both should be fired.

Three times in the past week, and six since Trump took office, the Justice Department has asked the high court to step into cases much earlier than usual.

The emergency appeal to the high court Friday follows a rejection of the Republican administration’s plea to the federal appeals court in Washington.