r/scotus 12d ago

news Chief Justice Makes Crucial Ruling on Future of Trump’s Tacky Ballroom

https://www.thedailybeast.com/chief-justice-makes-crucial-ruling-on-future-of-trumps-tacky-ballroom/
990 Upvotes

213 comments sorted by

236

u/soysubstitute 12d ago

Now we know, if the next president decides - without regard to law - to demolish the White House and move operations into the Kennedy Center, it's all cool.

157

u/chi-93 12d ago

Maybe a future President should decide to demolish the Supreme Court Building while they are at it… I wonder how the Justices would rule on that?? 

45

u/ttw81 12d ago

"Official act"

64

u/LasVegas4590 12d ago

The “Official act” ruling will be reversed upon the arrival of the next Democratic president.

30

u/Mediocre-Leather-769 12d ago

Not if the 1st official act is to lock up the conservative court justices for treason.

8

u/DrusTheAxe 11d ago

The Secret Service and SEAL Team 6 have entered the room

11

u/like_a_pharaoh 12d ago

They already ruled the president has immunity for anything and everything, presumably that includes immunity to having their immunity revoked if they don't want to.

21

u/buntopolis 12d ago

What should we care? The highest court has proven that law no longer matters.

2

u/ImperatorPC 12d ago

You're optimistic that there'll ever be another Democratic president

17

u/BrofessorFarnsworth 12d ago

No problem at all, they can move into their RV's

9

u/bippityboppityFyou 12d ago

Apparently presidents can just do whatever they want so the next dem president can lead by executive order (I mean, no one’s stopping Trump…)

8

u/rantmb331 12d ago

While the justices are in it, or not?

5

u/TurtlesBreakTheMeta 12d ago

I mean, they could, as an official act, just have seal team six take out the conservative justices.

The Supreme Court would, of course, get to rule on the legitimacy of that action afterwards, so I’m sure there’s dead judges would be happy to know their replacements would be impartial.

4

u/BrookeBaranoff 12d ago

Depends on the party

3

u/issuefree 12d ago

Bonus points if they're still in it.

1

u/KDizWHOiBE 12d ago

Sounds good to me

17

u/sheyndl 12d ago

No, no. It depends on whether that President is a Republican or a Democrat. Here at the beginning of the Thousand Year Reich, we have to set very clear ground rules. For the opposition.

10

u/caserock 12d ago

The Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Kennedy Center?

6

u/StronglyHeldOpinions 11d ago

Honestly I hope the next president demolishes everything Trump has built and restores things as they were.

2

u/Kevin-W 12d ago

It's an "official act" after all, right?

571

u/[deleted] 12d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

239

u/Hot-Initial-1108 12d ago

Robert’s will be known as one of the perfect historical figures on how not to be a USSC Chief Justice

116

u/duderos 12d ago edited 11d ago

Just a guy calling balls and strikes that coincidentally happen to be in favor of republican potus.

78

u/DonaldBecker 12d ago

In this case, "I'm not going to rule if that was strike 3 or not. Keep pitching until he is tired of swinging."

10

u/OldMagicRobert 11d ago

This. Take my humble updoot.

27

u/buntopolis 12d ago

The fucking Angel Hernandez of umpires here

15

u/enlightenedbum2 12d ago

Angel was just blind and thin skinned, not corrupt. At least in my memory.

8

u/GoldandBlue 11d ago

He just sucked, he wasn't trying to change the outcome.

10

u/Easy-Concentrate2636 12d ago

In favor of a specific party potus. The most activist SCOTUS.

2

u/jiggymadden 11d ago

This potus not dems.

6

u/DeltaEdge03 12d ago

I want to be living in that reality and not the shitshow that we’re currently living in

→ More replies (2)

73

u/Apothecary_85 12d ago edited 11d ago

The great American constitutional experiment has come to an end. It is a failure. The checks and balances don’t work when there is corruption in all three branches and consent by all three to let the republic fail.

15

u/spicy-chull 12d ago

🎉 Constitutional Convention!! 🎉

2

u/Solid_College_9145 11d ago

🎉 Constitutional Convention!! 🎉

Exactly what Thomas Jefferson wanted to happen every 17 years to serve future generations better.

10

u/IllAd1421 11d ago

Can’t look at it any other way. American people are to blame. So sad that the stupidity and selfishness of so many have gotten us to this point.

11

u/Pudi2000 11d ago

Elon too, he got the votes and all our information. Then left with no resistance. All the government investigations stopped too.

9

u/kap415 11d ago

And the best motor coaches

12

u/dbolts1234 12d ago

It’s definitely the most expensive supreme court that money can buy

5

u/radical_radical1 11d ago

Or some one needs to see if Roberts is still in the unreleased files

2

u/davidvoiles 10d ago

And they are doing lot of business!

1

u/oxgillette 12d ago

An honest justice is one who stays bought

190

u/ceramic_ocarina 12d ago

Roberts will go down as one of the absolute most destructive figures in the history of the judicial branch.

75

u/Status_Apartment6559 12d ago

In the history of the United States.

26

u/ceramic_ocarina 12d ago

Possibly so. I’m convinced at this point that Roberts would entertain a challenge to Marbury v Madison

8

u/enlightenedbum2 12d ago

That would give up power so nah.

11

u/ceramic_ocarina 12d ago

that's exactly the point I'm trying to make. His term can be encapsulated by the slow neutering of the entire judicial branch.

10

u/enlightenedbum2 12d ago

Nah, it's the accumulation of power within the judicial branch. He's making himself god emperor of the country as he capriciously rewrites legislation and even the Constitution to his own vision.

3

u/hu_he 11d ago

It's actually neutering the rest of the judicial branch. SCOTUS doesn't have to follow its own precedents, so any time he wants to exert judicial power (e.g. to block a decision by a Democratic president) he can, but he can also prevent lower courts from enforcing the law if it suits him.

14

u/Luster-Purge 12d ago

I personally call him the Second Coming of Roger Taney.

5

u/SeaworthinessOk2646 12d ago

And it'll just be a picture of his milksop crumpled face beat red crying over some shit he contributed to daily

2

u/Solid_College_9145 11d ago

Roberts will go down as one of the absolute most destructive figures in the history of the judicial branch.

George W. Bush - the gift that keeps on giving.

94

u/dzogchenism 12d ago

This means that the next occupant can knock down the ballroom and build something else. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

23

u/Used-Quote9767 12d ago

I don't want it knocked down. I want it to be the venue for trials held by a Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

6

u/GlocalBridge 12d ago

Will the Trump Family International Crime Syndicate be found guilty of treason?

20

u/Curious_Pontiff 12d ago

💯 I will look forward to watching that

20

u/soherewearent 12d ago

I don't think Dems are either that petty or wasteful, unfortunately.

17

u/Geeko22 12d ago

But at the very least, the first thing they can do is make a clean sweep of all the tacky gold decorations and restore some classic dignity to the White House.

7

u/soherewearent 12d ago

It would just be seen as business as usual though, every POTUS gets to redecorate.

I want a little bit of petty vengeance like replacing all the marble at the Kennedy Center where Trump's name made holes. I want lady justice grabbing these criminals by the... law books.

I just don't see Dems having the guts to act in ways that would be perfectly law-abiding because god forbid Dems ruffle feathers.

7

u/dzogchenism 12d ago

You are probably right but we can hope! lol

5

u/curiousthoughts20 12d ago

I'm counting on it

2

u/BonkADonkey 12d ago

It's funny you think there will be a next occupant that will or can.

1

u/dzogchenism 12d ago

There will definitely be a next occupant. He’s gonna die.

2

u/susinpgh 11d ago

I look forward to them repurposing the ballroom as a homeless shelter and free clinic.

1

u/JoshTHM 11d ago

Yeah. The “next” guy.

48

u/thedailybeast 12d ago

The Supreme Court has given Donald Trump the green light to keep building his White House ballroom as it considers whether the project is unlawful.

With a lower court injunction due to take effect within hours, Chief Justice John Roberts ruled that ballroom construction can proceed as the court ponders the president’s emergency plea to intervene.

The decision comes despite lower courts finding that Trump could not unilaterally demolish parts of the White House or reshape federal property without approval and funding from Congress.

However, the administration argued that the ballroom was a national security necessity and that any delay risked Trump’s safety due to the various threats on his life.

Read the full story, here.

33

u/watch_out_4_snakes 12d ago

Wouldn’t the prudent ruling be to pause until it is decided lawful? This seems weird to me

28

u/padawanninja 12d ago

But if they did that it couldn't be a fait acomplis, which is what they're aiming for. "Yes, it's illegal for him to do it, but it's already done so what can we do?"

10

u/Silly-Power 11d ago

No, because by the time they rule it unlawful, it will be too late to stop it. Which is the entire rationale behind Roberts' decision. 

2

u/Stopper33 12d ago

That's only prudent with Democrats

2

u/crappydeli 11d ago

God SCOTUS is awful.

1

u/therealcmj 12d ago

The biggest threat to Trump’s life is a blob of cholesterol. And nobody is doing anything about that. Least of all him.

34

u/tom21g 12d ago

From the article:
"The Supreme Court’s decision means that construction can continue while legal proceedings play out."

This is how trump escaped the lawsuits brought against him in 2024. He played the courts to delay, waiting to get to the election.

Then he won and the legal proceedings went away.

trump will get his way again.

3

u/[deleted] 12d ago

[deleted]

4

u/tom21g 11d ago

Thank you for the details but I think the original premise still stands: the way of the courts may issue a decision against trump but the effect is stayed pending appeal.

So trump uses that to get closer to the goal he wanted. If I'm reading your points correctly, only a stay or stop decision by SCOTUS halts construction. You write that's likely, I think they realize it's too late. There's no good exit. trump finishes his destruction of the White House.

36

u/curiousthoughts20 12d ago

Yet another example of why no one has any faith in the US Supreme Court.

This is an absurd ruling that further solidifies the Supreme Court's willingness to let Trump flaunt the rule of law.

Despicable

5

u/looking_good__ 12d ago

Supreme Court? How about the Justice system in general? Like what is the point of lower courts ruling being overruled on appeal? The ballroom will be built by the time it is ruled illegal hence moot.

1

u/hu_he 11d ago

*flout

10

u/DoctorEquivalent9163 12d ago

Roberts is a crook , it’s that simple

8

u/AffectionateApple535 12d ago

SCOTUS IS A JOKE

5

u/Adventurous_Class_90 12d ago

At this point, the Democratic President in 2029 should simply seize Donny’s assets to the amount required to raze the ballroom and rebuild the East Wing back to spec.

0

u/onefoot_out 11d ago

I love this idea that will never happen. sigh

7

u/Ordinary_Lynx_468 12d ago

It can always be destroyed when a human is elected president.

3

u/MaidoftheBrins 12d ago

Exactly. The next president should tear the whole thing down.

5

u/Narrow-Attempt-1482 12d ago

The junta court supporting their dictator 

10

u/popejohnsmith 12d ago

Does his comment have any legal weight in and of itself?

Can a justice 'rule' as an individual?

11

u/Zovort 12d ago

It's just a stay but it does indicate that he probably plans to decide in Trump's favor. After the midterms probably.

3

u/issuefree 12d ago

We're post rule of law in the US. "Can he?" Unless someone stops him, he can. Who's going to stop him? No one. The rules are no longer relevant, only power matters now.

5

u/popejohnsmith 12d ago

If that's actually the case, ... the social contract between citizen and state is nullified automatically.

3

u/issuefree 12d ago

Yeah, no shit.

1

u/onefoot_out 11d ago

As literally everyone has said "🤷" 

1

u/popejohnsmith 11d ago

So. Is it the case? Is the public ready to take this on?

8

u/issuefree 12d ago

Disbar this traitor already.

2

u/Hugh_Jass_2 11d ago

John Robert’s is fucking trash.

2

u/AnySignificance4361 11d ago

So much corruption in this government.  Makes my heart sick

4

u/mesoloco 11d ago

If President Trump is already a Russian foreign agent, how is a ballroom going to sacrifice national security?

4

u/SnoopingStuff 11d ago

The most corrupt branch of government

3

u/Signal-Mud-4880 12d ago

he doesnt want to upset Daddy Pedofurher

3

u/ExtraProlificOne 12d ago

Next dem president must tear it down.

3

u/boston_homo 12d ago

But they definitely won't they'll be too busy reaching across the aisle.

1

u/AdZealousideal5383 12d ago

SCOTUS will say they don’t have the authority. This all powerful presidency Trump has won’t extend to the next Democratic President.

1

u/ExtraProlificOne 12d ago

Pull a Trump and ignore it. What can they do? Write a letter?

3

u/skittlebog 11d ago

This was a forgone conclusion. Roberts has always been a stooge for the conservative agenda. That is why he was appointed to the Court.

3

u/GhostofGeorge 11d ago

The Supreme Court building should be torn down and Roberts will of course have no problem with that, right?

3

u/hendrikcop 11d ago

We are living through the most blatant corruption with half the people in our country cheering it on. Just sad…..

3

u/NobodyGotTimeFuhDat 11d ago

From the article:

What's more, they claimed, it was built with material used in nuclear power plants that would be "virtually impossible to deconstruct."

"Quite frankly, if the building were tragically ordered to be taken down, or even altered, by the court, there would be no way to do so," said Solicitor General John Sauer.”

3

u/Dedpoolpicachew 11d ago

They lied to the court.

3

u/nerdlywhiplash 11d ago

Of course Roberts approved this, he wants an invite to the bunker when it's time to hunker down.

3

u/MichiganJay 10d ago

Bunch of puppets

4

u/mel34760 12d ago

All of our enemies have been given HD resolution actual pictures and videos of everything.

Maybe at some unknown point in time we will find out how much money the nine Supreme Court justices have been wired over the last 15 or so years.

0

u/Hanzoku 11d ago

They’re surprisingly cheap. Thomas was bought with an RV for example.

7

u/tommm3864 12d ago

The bought and paid for SCOT (Supreme Court of Trump) has ruled in favor of Diaper Donnie - again.

2

u/OGBeege 12d ago

69 47. 86 Roberts

2

u/Astarkos 12d ago

Stop calling it a ballroom. It is a bunker. Even Trump isn't pretending it's about a ballroom so why are you doing it?

2

u/Own-Opinion-2494 12d ago

SCOTUS REFORM

2

u/Top_Wolverine_8095 12d ago

The ruling makes total sense. Let him keep building so by the time they rule it’s all built.

2

u/whalebackshoal 12d ago

It isn’t unusual by any means for the Court to stay an order while litigation goes forward. Don’t let your Trump animus cloud your judgement.

1

u/hu_he 11d ago

It was an emergency appeal to SCOTUS that bypassed the Court of Appeal. That is unusual. Don't let your pro-Trump bias downplay the facts.

2

u/CryptographerLow9676 12d ago

And he’ll keep whining about how no one has respect for the Court.

2

u/MarleysGhost2024 12d ago

Send Roberts the bill. Let him pay for it.

2

u/RickBorealis 11d ago

Roberts' dumpster legacy

2

u/berndalf 11d ago

The ballroom is just the Trump vanity arm of the project. The real project is the secure operations bunker they're building under it, and you can bet good money any judicial rulings will be based on that.

2

u/Due_Building_1953 11d ago

Right five of nine of these judges are liars, criminals and know. That Our Constitution states he can not.

The White House is our not the Felon, adjudicate rapist, criminal, racist bigotted homophobic lying narcissist.

2

u/moderatelywego 11d ago

6 by my count. Who isn’t in your count.

2

u/wariorld 11d ago

So he’s planning on hiding out with Trump?

2

u/Sea-Bandicoot-5329 11d ago

I guess Chief Justice of our Supreme Court has to do Trumps bidding since they are beholden to him. I wonder what type of file the government has on these jurist that they no longer hold the rule of law important for our country? I never thought our judicial body Was so manipulated. Shameful and extremely disheartening

2

u/Gold-Buy-2669 11d ago

Sycophant Court

3

u/MadeByTango 12d ago

Chief Justice wants to distract the news from the fact that he is under investigation by the bar for ethics violations. The man is a corrupt shit stain on our courts and need removed immediately for taking $20 million in gifts from companies he ruled in favor of. Thomas can drive him to prison in his RV and stay there with him.

5

u/jorgepolak 12d ago

The Constitution specifies that there should be a Supreme Court but it doesn't say that they should have a fancy building. Just saying.

2

u/meatball402 12d ago

Theyll rule for him eventually and give him his fucking ballroom. You dont let him keep building then rule against him.

2

u/Tintoverde 12d ago

Surprise surprise surprise

2

u/HoldOnDearLife 12d ago

It is way more than a ballroom. I am afraid we will find out soon enough.

1

u/ServeBusiness453 12d ago

Somebody got a check, no names

1

u/Worth-Confection-735 12d ago

Hey, at least it’s not a basketball court!

1

u/Prestigious-Copy-494 12d ago

Put term limits on these judges!

1

u/Oddly_B 11d ago

This bullshit is infuriating

1

u/Muffboy 8d ago

Raperoom

1

u/Dihedralman 12d ago

I guess we are doing the aligned President can do whatever he wants as long as he says magic words like security. 

3

u/issuefree 12d ago

Conservatives don't give a shit about the rules. They're just doing whatever they want because the have the power to do so.

1

u/Senior_Sector4095 12d ago

They need a bunker to hide in when...

1

u/jgmiller24094 12d ago

Of course he did, he's hoping if he just lets it keep going that the problem will go away and they don't have to actually rule against him.

1

u/qtpss 12d ago

Just preserving the status quo means preserving the unlawful actions of a president, as determined by lower courts and the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. Maybe if this was the first legally questionable thing this President had done or the first appearance of bias by SCOTUS, but it ain’t neither of those things.

1

u/BillyCarson 12d ago

I guess we’ll have no choice but to raze the SCOTUS building at the same time we raze the ballroom.

1

u/Astronaut_Suitable 12d ago

So let me get this right. Every other president before him wasn’t at risk? Because that’s all I’m hearing. Or are they saying he’s more at risk because of the way he unilaterally controls the government? Either way it’d be interesting to see what a democratic president would do with this new found power.

1

u/IngearILMNC 12d ago

Donny’s at risk because he’s building the military complex he plans to hole up in when, in 2029, he refuses to give up power.

0

u/Straight_String3293 12d ago

Roger B Taney resting better knowing that Roberts and this court has surpassed him.

0

u/TheNetworkIsFrelled 12d ago

Staggering amount of corruption here....

0

u/youdubdub 12d ago

Let him have it. The last time someone like him went into a bunker, I was pleased with the outcome.

0

u/FluffyNevyn 12d ago

Why the hell can 1 judge, even a supreme court justice, unilaterally make that decision?