doj tells judge he could bulldoze teh statue of liberty and theres nothing they can do

[orleans]

39. i googled could trump administration destroy the statue of liberty:

Legally and logistically, the Trump administration cannot unilaterally destroy or demolish the Statue of Liberty, as doing so would violate federal laws like the National Historic Preservation Act and require explicit legislative approval from Congress. (link #1)

However, this question stems from a literal, hypothetical exchange in a June 2026 federal appeals court hearing regarding the limits of executive power.

The June 2026 Court Argument

During a hearing before the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals concerning a lawsuit over the construction of a new White House ballroom, Department of Justice (DOJ) lawyers argued that the courts lack the authority to halt executive construction or demolition projects.

The Judge's Question: Judge Patricia Millett asked the DOJ what would happen if the administration decided to "very quickly bulldoze the Statue of Liberty" before anyone could stop it.

The DOJ's Response: The government attorney responded, "I think that's right, yes," implying that under their legal theory of executive speed, the courts would have no power to undo or stop the action after the fact.

The Legal Framework
While the administration's legal argument pushes for absolute executive immunity from court-ordered halts on federal property, actual demolition remains illegal under federal protections: (link #2)

National Park Service Management:
The Statue of Liberty National Monument (link #3) is federal property managed by the National Park Service.

Statutory Protections:
Demolishing a national monument requires rigorous environmental reviews, public consultation, and compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act.

The Role of Congress:
The DOJ explicitly noted in the same arguments that stopping such overreach or modifying such structures ultimately rests under the constitutional authority of Congress, not individual executive mandates.

Ultimately, the administration has expressed no real-world intention to destroy the monument. The scenario remains a purely theoretical legal example used by judges to test the outer boundaries of presidential power over federal property.

link #1
https://newrepublic.com/post/211422/department-justice-donald-trump-right-bulldoze-statue-liberty

link #2
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/06/05/white-house-ballroom-donald-trump-00951892

link #3
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/307/