Donald Trump is facing legal action over the demolition of the White House’s East Wing, part of a $300 million plan to build a new ballroom on the executive grounds.

A Virginia couple, Charles and Judith Voorhees, filed an emergency motion in federal court on October 23 seeking to halt the project, alleging that it violates multiple federal preservation and planning laws.

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[–] 224 points 10 months ago (5 children)

Good. The demolition is disgusting, and apparently illegal. If legal efforts don't lan out, the couple can send their son, Jason, to scare the courts

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  • [–] 63 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    If you're sending Jason anyways you might as well have him fix the Supreme Court.

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  • [–] 18 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    I feel like this is a pop culture reference I’m missing. Jason?

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  • [–] 50 points 10 months ago* (1 child)

    This guy. The couple filing the suit share the last name Voorhees.

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    [–] 213 points 10 months ago (5 children)

    I still can't get over how cartoonishly evil trump is. Dude is literally destroying the white house and tweeting AI videos of himself shitting on the US flag, the Constitution, and the American people. He is literally destroying our culture and heritage and he hasn't even finished with his first year in his new admin. He isn't the antichrist. He's the devil made flesh.

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  • [–] 96 points 10 months ago (3 children)

    I love how cartoonishly evil, dumb and uncharismatic he is, and americans were like: "let's see what he has to offer a second time."

    History lesson in the future has to be absolute wild. People will imagine some well spoken George Clooney like person and then they see a video of Krang talking about grabbing pussy.

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    [–] 105 points 10 months ago (3 children)

    We should make this a class action suit. Every patriotic / matriotic US citizen should sign on. We all have cause, we all have been harmed. If any of us tried to destroy a historic building, or modify it in any way with out a plan, with out approval from a host of government entities we would have been stopped on the very first day. FTS!

    "The defendants are listed as Trump, in his official capacity, and Jessica Brown, director of the National Park Service." Excellent, J. Brown is not protected by SCOTUS. Go after the little fish. Charge the company doing the work, the guy running the backhoe, and everyone involved in this active destruction of The People's House.

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    [–] 64 points 10 months ago* (4 children)

    Well, the East Wing is demolished now. Just goes to show you how effective all this hand wringing is. You have to stop him, forcibly.

    Once the building is a pile of rubble, he can just point at the pile of rubble and say well now we got to rebuild it I guess, oh and by the way I'm the one who gets to pick how it's rebuilt. Ironic this is not a bad metaphor for the state of the country.

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  • [–] 29 points 10 months ago (4 children)

    No. If courts decide that the demolition was illegal, he has to put it back exactly the way it was. It's not a free pass to "rebuild it the way he wants".

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  • [–] 10 points 10 months ago

    I'm the one who gets to pick how it's rebuilt

    What if he's not, though? What if the courts ordered that the building must be rebuilt the way it was? I don't think that'll happen, but I wouldn't mind if it did.

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    [–] 38 points 10 months ago (2 children)

    He should be arrested for vandalism.

    Wouldn't it be hilarious if this is the thing that gets him removed from office? Wishful thinking, I know

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    [–] 37 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    A nice gesture from some patriotic people, I'm sure, but we all know that laws meant to hold powerful people accountable for their actions are now meaningless.

    I expect that if this suit does not get outright dismissed, a Trump-appointed circuit judge or the SCOTUS will swoop in to save Trump yet again.

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  • [–] 12 points 10 months ago

    You're right, but I think this falls into the "don't obey in advance" rule of resistance to autocracy.

    I've long since lost the will to support this type of action, like yourself I suppose. Everything is fucked all the way down. You can't not-lose in a corrupt court system.

    However, I think it's important that every authoritarian action is challenged, because if you don't challenge then you really are kind of obeying in advance.

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  • [–] 36 points 10 months ago (2 children)

    There should be a class-action lawsuit against him personally on behalf of the entire population of the United States. Force him to pay out of his pocket to return the site to its previous glory, then pay punitive damages to every single citizen of the United States...all out of his own pocket.

    And make him sign each individual check, like in The Jerk. He loves to sign his name, this would make him HATE it.

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    [–] 28 points 10 months ago (2 children)

    He didn’t even get permits to do the demo.

    That didn’t stop him.

    What the hell is a lawsuit going to do?

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    [–] 28 points 10 months ago (9 children)

    The founding fathers would be turning in their graves. This time line is fked man. He's going to rig the next election if he doesn't get rid of elections all together. One thing he doesn't realise is dictatorships like RUS and China have unarmed controlled citizens.

    The USA has the most heavily armed population on the planet.

    He's fucking with fire and he is absolutely going to be burnt.

    Bro just bulldozed history for a ball room.... Insanity.

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  • [–] 12 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (3 children)

    In an all out war, (which I doubt will happen) all these guns in the population don't matter against drones, aircrafts, tanks and trained snipers or other soldiers. If the military and all other agencies decides to support Trump, all these weapons will be useless. The pentagon surely has plans for a civil uprising in their own country.

    I don't think the US has enough ordinary citizen that would actually risk their lives for democracy, to make a difference. Media and social media is controlled by the oligarchy, and even the progressives don't seem to want to cut themselves loose of twitter, Facebook/Whatsapp, google, bluesky, discord and so on. Where would they even organize?

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  • [–] 10 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

    And yet you’d think with the whole right to bear arms and use it against kings would have kicked in already tho.

    They still just use the guns on children and minorities.

    This has been the most anticlimactic flex I’ve ever seen.

    We will not be forgetting this one should another gun toting citizen from the US boast their reasons of the constitution.

    Prepare to have this thrown in all the faces for generations to come.

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    [–] 27 points 10 months ago (2 children)

    I feel like Trump is setting a record for the most sued president while in office. And probably outside of office too.

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    [–] 22 points 10 months ago

    Has anyone else heard that tRump is planning to bury the Epstein Files in the foundation of the Epstein Ballroom?

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  • [–] 21 points 10 months ago

    "Maybe in your dreams!" responded Trumps lawyer Frederick Kruger.

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  • [–] 21 points 10 months ago*

    Trump: Does horrible thing

    Two weeks after it matters: People: Sue over horrible thing

    One year later: Court: Trump shouldn't have done that horrible thing.

    Result: Horrible thing is done. No consequences for having done said horrible thing. Lawyers get paid. Courts give themselves pat on back. Democracy manifest!

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  • [–] 16 points 10 months ago (2 children)

    I hope this demolition company is doing this work for fun. No chance of getting paid with the shutdown and all...

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    [–] 13 points 10 months ago (8 children)

    I am vastly more concerned over the actual people being affected by this admin than destroying some stupid building. Who cares this much about the white house? Are we serious? Are we really talking about banding together to save the white house rather than the people being kidnapped and assaulted on the streets every day?

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  • [–] 19 points 10 months ago

    People can be upset about multiple things. Just because I am upset about the White House being destroyed doesn't mean I am not also upset about the lives of Americans being destroyed.

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  • [–] 14 points 10 months ago*

    I get this take and am in the same boat. The thing though is that the people who disapprove with trump is about the same as the number that "strongly disapprove" of trump. We have no more loathing to give.

    Righting the ship will require breaking through to the disconnected and mildly red.

    And the WH destruction is a) not a traditionally partisan issue, b) strongly symbolic, and c) a powerful visual.

    So is it the worst thing he's doing? Not by a mile. Will I be happy if it wakes people up? Vehemently.

    Hey, they got Capone on tax fraud

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  • [–] 12 points 10 months ago

    On one hand, yes, many Americans' morals are backwards and ideally humans being killed, brutalized and disappeared by this administration and it's agents would get more attention than an old building.

    But on the other hand, that's unfortunately not where we're at. But where we are at is many people who would otherwise support or at least feel apathetic to what this administration is doing are appalled by the destruction of a national icon and I'll welcome any step towards eroding the support this administration has from a significant group of Americans.

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    [–] 12 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    The demolition and the general idea doesn't bother me as much as the fact that we all know it's gonna be filled with gold-colored tacky shit and other fugly crap.

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  • [–] 10 points 10 months ago

    Not to mention the fact there is really no reason for a ball room at the White House. They hold these events in more fitting venues.

    This isn't a ball room though. This is a throne room for the great Hamberder King.

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  • [–] 12 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    Quick, get Merrick Garland on the case.

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    [–] 11 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

    Too bad nothing will happen just like all the other lawsuits and “illegal” activities he’s done

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