Trump Ballroom Blocked by Federal Judge...Permanently
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
This is really big news, folks.
What did the federal judge rule about Trump's ballroom project?
A federal judge in Washington DC has ordered the Trump regime to halt construction of Trump's $400 million White House ballroom, ruling that the project cannot move forward unless it gets congressional approval. The federal judge who issued this order moments ago is Judge Richard Leon. He is a Republican appointed judge. He was appointed by George W. Bush back in 2002. Let's dig into this order by this Republican appointed judge blocking Donald Trump's ballroom unless it gets congressional approval. Folks, hide that ketchup because Donald Trump's going to start throwing things against the wall. Let's dig into this 35-page order. It states as follows. The president of the United States is the steward of the White House for future generations of first families.
He is not, however, the owner, exclamation point. President Trump, the president. claims that Congress has given him authority in existing statutes to construct his East Wing ballroom project and to do it with private funds. The plaintiff, the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States, claims the president has no such authority under existing statutes and that a preliminary injunction is necessary to avoid irreparable harm. I have concluded that the National Trust is likely to succeed on the merits because no statute comes close to giving the president the authority he claims to have. As such, I must therefore grant the National Trust's motion for a preliminary injunction and the ballroom construction project must stop immediately until Congress authorizes its completion so ordered.
Now I'll go through some of the facts and legal reasoning here, but I think it's important for you to remember as well that previously this federal judge had denied the motion for preliminary injunction because the judge said that the National Trust did not cite the appropriate law.
Who is Judge Richard Leon and what is his significance?
the National Trust then amended its complaint and in its amended filing sought a preliminary injunction. And the judge says, well, now that you've invoked the correct legal authority, this is clearly ultra virus outside the scope of presidential authority, absent congressional authorization. So this time, this federal judge, again, a GOP appointed federal judge, George W. Bush appointed federal judge, grants the injunction, blocks the ballroom. So that means ballroom construction is hereby halted. Now, Donald Trump is likely to appeal this to the Washington DC Circuit Court of Appeals and take it all the way up to the Supreme Court. But I don't believe that Donald Trump will have any likelihood of prevailing there, although you never know.
Let's just get into this ruling. So it has this section called background, and it talks about some of the background on the White House, the background on presidents living in the White House. Here's what it says. I'll just give a brief summary. It says shortly after the founding, Congress passed the Residence Act of 1790, which authorized three commissioners to provide suitable buildings for the accommodation of the president. It then goes on to talk about how Congress continued to authorize and fund construction and maintenance at the White House up until the present day. And it gives an example. For example, Congress authorized repairs to the White House after it suffered extensive damage during the War of 1812.
It goes on to talk about In the late 1940s, after the discovery of major structural issues, Congress appropriated funds for the renovation, repair, and modernization of the White House, showing that Congress was the one who gave the authorization. The power of the purse is with Congress. And then it goes on to say, today, the White House remains the official residence of the president. It sits in the president's park, a federal park administered by the National Park Services in Washington, D.C. And otherwise, in other words, you live in a park that's owned by the public. This is not your home. You are a steward of it for future generations of first families.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:01
2
What did the federal judge rule about Trump's ballroom project?
0:01–2:20
3
Who is Judge Richard Leon and what is his significance?
2:20–5:30
4
What are the legal grounds for blocking the ballroom construction?
5:30–8:13
5
What arguments did the National Trust for Historic Preservation present?
8:13–16:15