Trump Accidentally Exposes Security Crisis Inside White House

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1:54today at 1-800-Flowers.com slash podcast. That's 1-800-Flowers.com slash podcast.

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2:50Michael Popok:We got some breaking news at the appellate court level and at the district court level about Donald Trump's attempt to build a ballroom to cover up a secret military installation along with a hospital for you know who and you know why. Let me give you the update here on the Midas Touch Network and on Legal AF. I'm Michael Popak. In the last 72 hours, starting first with the federal appellate court for the District of Columbia courts in a two to one decision, effectively sided with Judge Leon, the district court judge, to stop the ballroom. I mean, they're going to delay the order three days, but has sent it back to Judge Leon to conduct further fact finding about Donald Trump's claims that national security is being compromised because there's a giant hole where the East Wing used to be.

3:44Michael Popok:Now, the national trust that brought this case has said clearly, including in a filing that just came in in the last 24 hours, they said the following. Build the bunker. You got a security concern? You can build the bunker. Just don't build a ballroom over it. Now, the Trump administration and its lawyers are telling the judge they're inseparable. They go hand in glove. See, it's not just a bunker. The bunker needs, in their words, a slab and a topping structure. Otherwise, it won't work. They actually got a secret service leader to file an affidavit, which exposes to the entire world, including our enemies, where the vulnerability and weaknesses right now at the structure.

4:29Michael Popok:You would think that would be something that they would file with a redaction pen, right? Black it out so our enemies don't see it. Oh, no. Not only that, but as pointed out in the filings by the National Trust, Donald Trump already took a picture at the site demonstrating the weaknesses in the security. Let's get to the bottom of it. There was a motion for clarification that was filed by the National Trust because Donald Trump claimed that when the judge issued a preliminary injunction a couple of weeks ago to stop the ballroom, but allow the bunker and allow it to be secured, that that meant Donald Trump could build the ballroom.

5:10Michael Popok:We all heard him say it. He said, well, I just got the order. And I think by this order, I can build all of the security features above ground. No. To any reasonable mind, the injunction by Judge Leon stopped what we call vertical construction coming out of the ground of the ballroom. It does bother me that the lawyers involved here on either side don't seem to have any handle on construction terms. I've done construction litigation. That's what you should be saying. Vertical construction stops, below ground foundational bunker type construction can continue. But to Donald Trump, who lied apparently, did not tell the truth with his lawyers to Judge Leon originally, he said, no, what happens below ground stays below ground.

5:54Michael Popok:It's like Las Vegas. What happens above ground is not dictated by what happens below ground. We want to just continue what happens below ground. And the judge says, all right, well, based on that representation, continue to build your bunker. Now he's coming into the appellate court and saying the opposite. To the appellate court, he's saying, no, they go hand in glove. We need to have a topping structure above it or the Secret Service can't protect us. Here's what the National Trust wrote in their new filing on the 14th. In yet another brazen contortion of the laws of vocabulary, the defendants asked the court to clarify that its narrow exception for actions necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House actually permits them to ignore the injunction and proceed with the East Wing project, including the ballroom.

6:48Michael Popok:that it's requested the court should not abide such subterfuge. Now, what the appellate court said with Judge Millett and Garcia in the majority, an Obama and Biden appointee in the majority, with Judge Rayo, a Trump appointee in the dissent, they said, let's send it back to the judge. There's a motion for clarification about what does secure the site mean to give security confidence about this open hole that Donald Trump created. They sent it back to him on a remand to the trial court judge. You go figure it out with fact finding. Let brief. Finish the job on the motion for clarification. Then any party that doesn't like the result can try to come back up here on appeal.

7:32Michael Popok:They also gave Donald Trump three more day extension on the ruling to give him time to run to the Supreme Court if he doesn't like the order which sent it back to Judge Leon for fact finding, which I don't think the Supreme Court is ultimately going to be upset about. They're going to say, well, it's not done yet. Let's see what the judge comes up with in the fact finding about the security around the whole. Hey, everybody. Ben Mycelis here from the Midas Touch Network. I wanted to let you know about my podcast partner, Michael Popak's new law firm. It's called the Popak Firm. Michael Popak's pursuing his dream of starting his own law firm, really based on the popular demand by all the Midas, Mighty and Legal AF-ers who were approaching Michael Popak with their cases and saying, can you help us?

8:22And at that time, Popak was not able to. So he went out on his own. He started the Popak firm where he is now handling catastrophic injury cases like car accident cases, trucking cases, malpractice cases, big negligence cases, wrongful death cases. So if you or someone you know have a case like this, the consultation with Popak's firm is free. Give them a call. See if you have a case. It's thepopakfirm.com, thepopakfirm.com, or you can call 877-POPOKAF, P-O-P-O-K-A-F. So 1-877-POPOKAF. Give Michael Popok a call. And I'm really proud of you, Popok. Thanks for all the hard work you're putting in.

9:10Michael Popok:Judge Rayo, who was a Trump appointee, her position was, no, the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States has no standing, can't be the plaintiff, can't make these arguments, and therefore shouldn't. All right. So we got that going on. Here's what the declaration from the Secret Service agent or Deputy Director Matthew Quinn, which, frankly, I would have thought, let me show it on the screen here. I would have thought they would have put a lot more black marks on this document. There are no blackout anywhere to be found, right, about national security interests. How important, how relevant, how in good faith are these national security concerns when they file in a public record for everyone to see the deputy director of the United States Secret Services' worst fears and nightmares?

10:03Michael Popok:Here, how about this? Paragraph five. The unfinished construction site also presents greater exposure to safety and security threats directed at the main White House and West Wing structures, as well as the underground construction. Specifically, uniformed division personnel will be hindered to effectively secure, defend the east side of the White House building from an attack or security breach due to the current construction debris and large holes. There is a roadmap for everybody to follow, don't you think? So we've got that and a photo that Donald Trump posted of himself at the site, which also reveals the security problem, which was pointed out in the new filing as well.

10:49Michael Popok:In particular, it says on page three by the National Trust to the judge, the defendants appear unaware that the president prominently shared a photograph of himself standing on the construction site just last week, which has now been viewed 37 ,300 times. In other words, how insecure is the site when Donald Trump's showing it off for any tourist and bad guy to see it in social media? Here's what I think happens next. Judge Leon holds a conference, a hearing, if you will, on this issue in the next couple of days, which we'll report on. From there, I think he sends out a clarified, a clarification order, which says that the site can be secured in this way.

11:34Michael Popok:In particular, this is what the National Trust wants the order to read. This is on page seven. The court should prohibit any above ground development of the proposed ballroom. That would be what we call the vertical construction. Second, the court should permit the defendants to continue below ground work. So they're saying, do the below ground work, right? But we don't object to any of it as long as it doesn't determine or dictate what happens above ground. and the court and the court should also permit the defendants to take actions necessary to maintain the present state of the east wing winding it down storing materials and the like that's what should happen so now we're going to wait for judge leon to make his ruling it'll then go back up on a court of appeals back to judge millet garcia and reo and maybe to the united states supreme court but yet another setback for donald trump's efforts to uh basically ask for forgiveness instead of permission.

12:36Michael Popok:He's not even asking for forgiveness. Oops, I knocked over the east wing. Oops, there's a giant hole. Oops, I got to build the ballroom to cover the giant hole now, don't I? No, I'll follow it. You're on Midas Touch and on Legal AF. I'm Michael Popak. Until my next report. Can't get your fill of Legal AF? Me neither. That's why we formed the Legal AF Substack. Every time we mention something in a hot take, whether it's a court filing or a oral argument. Come over to the Substack. You'll find the court filing and the oral argument there, including a daily roundup that I do call, wait for it, Morning AF.

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