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Richard J. Leon

Richard J. Leon

U.S. District Judge (D.D.C.)

Appears in 1 story

Stories

The White House ballroom rush hits court: preservationists ask judge to freeze Trump’s build

Built World

Signaled deep skepticism of Trump's authority at Jan 22 hearing; expected to rule on preliminary injunction in February 2026

The legal and procedural challenges intensified in late January as federal Judge Richard Leon signaled deep skepticism of the administration's claim that the president can tear down "an icon that's a national institution" and fund reconstruction with $400 million in private donations. At a January 22 hearing on the National Trust's request for a preliminary injunction, Leon questioned whether Trump has legal authority to proceed and called the private-funding mechanism a "Rube Goldberg contraption." He's expected to rule in February. Three days later, Trump declared on Truth Social that "IT IS TOO LATE" to stop the project, claiming materials including structural steel, marble, and bulletproof glass have already been lined up.

Updated Jan 29