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Ballroom. Of course, Trump would want the “biggest, most beautiful” ball-room. 

 

(What is it with guys who have everything already and their privates.) 

 

Betcha forgot all about Trump’s East Wing demolition. That was like eight Epstein episodes ago. 

 

Well, it’s still in litigation. And it is, like damn near everything else about the Republican agenda, disingenuous and bogus. 

 

See, first Trump’s personal attorneys, I mean the entire Department of Justice, argued that the National Trust for Historic Preservation couldn’t challenge it in the courts because they argued the ballroom project is run by the “White House Executive Residence.”  And this “White House Executive Residence” conveniently falls outside of the jurisdiction of the Administrative Procedure Act. That was the main reason why the federal judge denied the National Trust’s request for an injunction last year. 

 

But the project has to be managed pursuant to proper federal procedures. So the DOJ next argued, well yes it’s “run by” the “White House Executive Residence” but it is “managed by” the National Park Service. But then the National Trust pointed out that Park Service involvement means courts can review it. 

 

So then the DOJ argued that the “White House Executive Residence” is “directing 100%” of the project and the Park Service only handles funding. 

 

Judge Leon’s response: “You can’t have it both ways.” He called it a “shifting theories and shifting dynamics” approach to litigation, which is a nice way of saying they’re lying to get the result they want. 

 

Judge Leon next addressed the private Trump attorney’s, sorry I mean the DoJ’s attorney’s, arguing that this was all an “alteration” of the White House grounds.  The judge pointed out that demolishing an entire wing and replacing it with a structure nearly twice the size of the original White House is a pretty creative definition of “alteration.” The judge’s actual language was “brazen interpretation of the laws of vocabulary.” 

 

The GOP’s entire platform is one big “brazen interpretation of the laws of vocabulary.” Tariffs aren’t a “tax.” These are “detention centers.” All you need under the Save Act is “ID.” It’s a “war” but it’s not a “war.” It’s “voter fraud” but only for Republicans who lose. Social security is an “entitlement.” It’s “welfare” for poor people but “government stimulation” for corporations. 

 

Oh, and that less than 50% “overwhelming mandate”? There actually is an overwhelming mandate. Over 97% of 32,000-plus public comments to the National Capital Planning Commission opposed the new ballroom.*

 

But GOP never did stand for “Government of the People.” They should be honest and change it to GOO: Government of Oligarchs. Because that’s all it is at this point. To use government to enrich the super-rich and to make rules to keep those who enrich the super-rich in power. 

 

* If you want to weigh in to the National Capital Planning Commission before their formal vote on whether to approve the ballroom, go to ncpc.gov. The National Trust for Historic Preservation at savingplaces.org has a public participation page with guidance on what to include in your message to NCPC.