A 5-4 conservative majority on the Supreme Court ruled Monday that construction on a new $400 million White House ballroom can proceed, reversing lower court orders that had temporarily halted aboveground work on the project.
Chief Justice John Roberts dissented from the decision, writing that the ongoing construction was “likely unlawful.”
Roberts joined the court’s three liberal justices in opposition, arguing that work on the facility had moved forward unchecked for nearly a year despite significant legal flaws.
“Construction of the ballroom has proceeded apace for the better part of a year,” Roberts wrote. “That construction is likely unlawful.”
Despite Roberts’ warning, the majority threw out the challenge against the Trump administration on procedural grounds. The court concluded that the plaintiff, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, lacked the legal standing required to pursue a federal lawsuit.
Thrown out b/c a lack of standing. Hard to imagine who would have standing beyond Congress, but we know the party in charge doesn’t care. Feels like we’re just going to have to take it.
Hey, that’s probably what a rape victim thinks half way through being raped. Wow, Republicans are very pro-rape: of children, especially it seems.
That’s him saying so as part of the Dissenting minority. He was outvoted by the rest of Trump’s sycophants.
I know. The point is he should have said it is unlawful, not “likely unlawful”. Or if he’s so afraid of hurting their feelings, he could say “I find it to be unlawful”.
They didn’t hear the merits of the case, and as a Supreme Court justice he shouldn’t make a determination before the hearing.
And it doesn’t matter here. What he said was appropriate and enough.