Miami Residents Sue to Block Trump’s Scammy Presidential Library
Miami residents are suing President Trump, claiming the land given to him to build his presidential library was an illegal transaction designed to curry favor with the president — a violation of the Constitution’s National Emoluments Clause. The lawsuit seeks cancellation of the land sale.
The lawsuit says the Miami Dade College Board of Trustees and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis sold a three-acre plot of land in the middle of Miami to the Trump Foundation for just $10, when it was clear the land was worth millions.
“With its waterfront views and central location in vibrant downtown Miami, the [Miami Dade College] Parcel would likely sell for more than $300 million on the open market, according to local real estate experts,” the lawsuit says. “But President Trump paid nothing for it.” The litigants also said the library would disrupt their lives and contribute to traffic and noise pollution.
Another point of contention in the lawsuit is that Trump has already publicly stated that he doesn’t even want to use the library for its intended purpose: He wants it to be a hotel.
“[The land] is no longer available to serve the MDC student community and downtown Miami,” the lawsuit states. “Instead, the land will be home to a Trump Hotel that will bring wealth to the President.”
This trial comes just a month later The New Republic reported that four major companies loyal to Trump – Meta, X, ABC and Paramount – have all pledged tens of millions of dollars for the library. Today, the slush fund the money was invested in is nowhere to be found, adding yet another level of scrutiny to a project that hasn’t even gotten off the ground yet.
And to top it all off, the renderings intended for Trump’s presidential library are garish, gratuitous and ugly. The AI-generated concept art shows an ostentatious skyscraper in downtown Miami with at least two huge golden statues of the president, huge outdoor terraces with palm trees, life-size airplanes and fighter jets inside, a grand ballroom, a replica of the Oval Office and of course gold everywhere and on everything.
