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The John Batchelor Show

S8 Ep761: Professor Richard Epstein discusses a legal stay against Donald Trump's White House ballroom project, condemning the "unitary executive" theory as dangerous and criticizing Trump's disregard for historical preservation laws as being erratic, lawless, and

The John Batchelor Show

John Batchelor

Arts, News, Society & Culture, Books

4.52.8K Ratings

🗓️ 18 April 2026

⏱️ 6 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Professor Richard Epstein discusses a legal stay against Donald Trump's White House ballroom project, condemning the "unitary executive" theory as dangerous and criticizing Trump's disregard for historical preservation laws as being erratic, lawless, and dictatorial. (4)
1942 LONG BEACH

Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:29.9

Today. I'm John Bachelor with Professor Richard Epstein. He is at the Civitas Institute at the University of Texas at Austin. He is also teaching law at NYU in the University of Chicago.

0:57.8

Return to In the News, a U.S. judge has halted construction of the above-ground portion

1:04.6

of President Trump's White House Ballroom Project, but has allowed plans for an underground

1:09.3

bunker to proceed.

1:10.4

Judge Richard Leon wrote his ruling

1:13.5

that Congress must approve the project, adding that President Trump appeared to be trying to sidestep

1:19.8

previous court order by reclassifying the ballroom plans as vital for national security. The judge

1:25.5

wrote, national security is not a blank check to proceed with otherwise unlawful

1:32.0

activity.

1:33.2

The Justice Department has filed the notice of an appeal.

1:36.3

As I understand it, the judge's decision now goes to a review of a three-judge panel of D.C.

1:43.6

Court.

1:45.0

Professor, the puzzle here is the president is not only proposing changing the look of the White

1:51.8

House with a gigantic addition, but also, as far as I can tell, a triumphal arch in Washington,

2:00.7

renaming buildings for himself, or at least putting his

2:03.9

name first, odd decisions for anyone with the experience of the 20th century presidency, where it was

2:10.7

much more reverential towards the past. However, is there a law that makes the president too hasty here? The president is an expert at

...

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