Trump's Power Play: National Monuments in Jeopardy

A newly released legal opinion from the U.S. Department of Justice suggests President Donald Trump has the authority to abolish national monuments, including two in California created by his predecessor, Joe Biden. This opinion challenges historical interpretations and empowers Trump to alter past presidential designations.

The May 27 document, now public, upends a 1938 legal opinion and allows Trump to potentially remove federal protections from millions of acres of designated land. While national monuments, recognized for cultural and historical significance, have traditionally been established by presidents, this opinion argues their status can also be rescinded.

Legal Counsel Lanora Pettit concluded that the Antiquities Act of 1906 endows presidents with the ability to both declare and revoke monument status. The White House, responding to this shift, emphasized a broader push to make federal lands available for leasing and development.

(With inputs from agencies.)