District Judge Richard Leon is facing backlash from MAGA social media after he temporarily blocked the ongoing construction of the White House East Wing ballroom at Trump's behest. The order, which takes effect in 14 days, will halt construction on April 13 if not overturned.
The order blocks the Trump administration “from taking any action in furtherance of the physical development of the proposed ballroom at the former site of the East Wing of the White House." The ruling came in response to a legal challenge brought by the preservation group National Trust for Historic Preservation in the US trying to block the construction.
While the critics of the ballroom project welcomed the decision, MAGA social media erupted in rage and targeted Judge Leon. In this article we will look at what is known about Judge Richard Leon.
Who Is Richard Leon? 5 Things About The District Judge
1. Appointed By George W Bush: Richard Leon is a senior District Judge for the District of Columbia (Washington). He was appointed by President George W Bush in 2002.
2. Republican With DOJ Roots: He is a Republican and served in the DOJ in the Ronald Regan era. Leon served as counsel in congressional probes like Iran-Contra, October Surprise, and Whitewater.
{{/usCountry}}2. Republican With DOJ Roots: He is a Republican and served in the DOJ in the Ronald Regan era. Leon served as counsel in congressional probes like Iran-Contra, October Surprise, and Whitewater.
{{/usCountry}}3. A Harvard Graduate: Judge Richard Leon is a Harvard graduate, obtaining his LLM from Harvard University in 1981. Previously, he was at Holy Cross College and Suffolk Law School before.
4. Was On Obama's Crosshairs: In 2012, he blocked Obama's recess appointments to the NLRB as unconstitutional. Leon criticized NSA bulk phone data collection in the 2013 Obama vs Klayman case. He called it "almost Orwellian."
5. Key In DC Handgun Case: Leon ruled against the constitutionality of D.C.'s handgun ban in 2008. It is considered a landmark Second Amendment decision, which was later affirmed by the Supreme Court.
Trump Reacts To Judge Leon's Decision
Trump, on Tuesday, reacted to the ruling by Judge Richard Leon with a Truth Social post. The POTUS did not speak on the Republican judge's ruling, and instead attacked the National Trust for Historic Preservation as "left-wing lunatics." He questioned why they were not suing Fed Chairman Jerome Powell for the renovations in the US Federal Reserve building.
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"The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a Radical Left Group of Lunatics whose funding was stopped by Congress in 2005, is not suing the Federal Reserve for a Building which has been decimated and destroyed, inside and out, by an incompetent and possibly corrupt Fed Chairman.
"The once magnificent Building is BILLIONS over budget, may never be completed, and may never open," he wrote and claimed the decision "doesn’t make much sense."
Trump is building the $400 million ballroom with money raised from donors. The East Wing of the White House was destroyed the accommodate the proposed construction, sparking major backlash.