A federal judge strongly criticized the Trump administration for demolishing the White House East Wing, saying that calling it just an “alteration” needs a very bold way of looking at words.
He wasn’t finished yet.
Judge Richard Leon, a U.S. District Judge, said it would have been much simpler to get permission from Congress to do the demolition.
He criticized the administration for changing its arguments and explanations to say Trump had the legal right to tear down the part of the White House.
The case was started by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, who want to stop the construction of Trump’s ballroom unless he gets approval from Congress and goes through independent reviews.
The $400 million ballroom is a big focus for Trump, even though the economy is struggling and there’s a war in the Middle East. He sees this expensive project, which is funded by big corporate donations, as a way to build a lasting legacy for himself.
Judge Leon said the idea that Trump can do this under a law that lets the President decide what counts as an “alteration” or “improvement” is not valid.
He also said the White House isn’t a national park, but an important symbol of the country.
He pointed out that the Trump administration has no history of properly going through the usual approval steps.
Leon has said he will make his final decision by the end of March.
If he rules against Trump, the case will probably go to appeals. But if the court keeps it going until after the midterms and Democrats win control of Congress, Trump will never get the approval he needs to finish his project.
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