WASHINGTON — A federal judge has denied a request by the House to prevent President Donald Trump from tapping Defense Department money for his proposed border wall with Mexico.

U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden ruled Monday that the House didn’t have authority to sue over the president’s decision to rely on Pentagon money for wall construction. McFadden is a Trump appointee.

Trump’s victory is muted by a federal ruling in California last month that blocked construction of key sections of the wall. The California case was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of the Sierra Club and Southern Border Communities Coalition.

The judge in the California case, Haywood Gilliam Jr., is an appointee of President Barack Obama. The administration plans to appeal.