Judge accused by President now rules in his favour
One obstacle down, one million to go. In an environmentally questionable move by District Judge Gonzalo Curiel, the first steps toward construction of Trump’s border wall have finally begun. While Trump by no means has the final go-ahead for the border wall, he now has permission to ignore previous environmental laws protecting certain pieces of land under the Wildlife Conservation Act. This is a rather surprising turn of events after a particularly interesting altercation between the judge in question and the “orange-tinted” president of the United States.In a previous case that Curiel presided over regarding Trump University, Trump cited Curiel’s Mexican heritage as a reason that the judge was offering unfavourable decisions and should recuse himself.
Despite the fact that there is no known history of Curiel ever saying anything inflammatory toward the president, Trump called him “a hater,” and accused him of treating him unfairly because he might “know a lawyer on the other side.” This was a significant scandal at the time and his remarks received a great deal of backlash.
History aside, the drama between President Trump and Judge Curiel isn’t the big picture here. What’s really important is that now the only thing standing between Trump and the wall is the money — and the millions of citizens who are against it. So far, Trump’s demands for Mexico to pay have had no effect, and the federal government doesn’t seem intent on giving him a dime. What will the president’s next move be after his “big legal win?” Only time will tell.
Image created by Will Wellington/The Ontarion