Trump Could Bulldoze Statue of Liberty and Courts Could Not Intervene, DOJ Lawyer Tells Appeals Court
The panel weighed whether courts can block unilateral landmark changes before damage occurs as the ballroom case continues and construction is allowed to proceed.
- During a federal appeals court hearing over President Trump's White House ballroom project, a Justice Department lawyer argued that courts lack authority to stop the project and that only Congress could intervene.
- Judge Patricia Millett tested that argument with a hypothetical scenario involving the demolition of the Statue of Liberty, asking whether courts would be powerless to act if such a project had already begun.
- DOJ attorney Yaakov Roth responded that the judge's characterization was essentially correct, drawing attention to the administration's position on judicial limits in the case.
- The legal dispute stems from Trump's plan to build a roughly $400 million ballroom on the site of the former White House East Wing, which preservation groups say was demolished and redeveloped without required approvals from Congress.
- The case is viewed as a broader test of presidential authority and the ability of courts to review executive actions, with an appeals court ruling expected in the coming weeks.
40 Articles
40 Articles
DOJ: Trump Can Raze Statue of Liberty if He Wants
A Trump administration lawyer told a federal appeals court on Friday that, in the Justice Department's legal view, even a rapid government decision to level the Statue of Liberty would be effectively beyond the reach of the courts. The hypothetical came from Judge Patricia Millett of the DC Circuit as...
Justice Department attorney argues courts cannot halt the White House ballroom even if it were found illegal, citing national security interests
Politico reports that the Justice Department is arguing that courts do not have the power to stop construction of the new White House ballroom, even if the project is found to be illegal. During a hearing, government lawyers said the project has moved too far along and involves important national security interests that outweigh legal challenges. This argument was made before a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of C…
The Justice Department stirred up controversy in the US after, in a hearing related to the dispute over a White House building, the extreme scenario in which the Trump administration could dispose of the demolition of the Statue of Liberty without the courts being able to intervene was invoked. The statements were made during a trial in which the judges questioned the limits of executive power and its ability to act quickly without judicial cont…
DOJ lawyer argues admin could 'bulldoze' Statue of Liberty at ballroom hearing
A lawyer representing the Department of Justice said at a hearing over the building of a White House ballroom that the Trump administration could hypothetically “bulldoze” the Statue of Liberty. During the hearing before a federal appeals court panel on Friday, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth said “yes” when Judge Patricia Millett asked...
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