Move over judicial system. There's another group attempting to block former President Donald Trump's aspirations: millions of Vertigo Angustior snails.
Protected by the European Union, these endangered snails are currently inhabiting an area on a Trump resort in Western Ireland, where he is attempting to add amenities, including a pickleball court.
This is not Trump's first snail challenge
The snails range from 1.5mm to 2.5mm (less than 1/10th of an inch) and are not the first shelled gastropods he's encountered. In 2014, CNBC reported that a community of snails challenged Trump's redevelopment plans for Doonbeg, a 400-acre retreat.
The snails are represented by Clare County Council, which challenged Trump's plans based on the snail's critical role as decomposers in the ecosystem.
To advance his proposed developments, which allegedly include new pickleball courts, a basketball court, and a soft play area, Trump’s TIGL Ireland must conduct a comprehensive survey assessing the impact of such plans on the resort's snail population.
"It's a shame because the microscopic snail is found all over the world," Trump lamented in 2014. "If the environmentalists kick up, I am not concerned. If we build one of the great courses of the world, that’s a great thing for Ireland and great thing for tourism."
The snails have won before
However, as The New York Times reported, the snails seemingly thwarted Trump's ambitions in 2016 when he was barred from constructing a sea wall on the resort. Instead, Trump's team erected two smaller barriers to minimize disruption to the snail-inhabited dunes.
In the latest standoff, The Irish Times notes that Clare County Council has raised seven issues to address before granting planning permission.
Despite these obstacles, Trump garners support from locals, many of whom have purportedly written to the council advocating for the approval of his plans.
Does Donald Trump have a DUPR rating?
Believe it or not, the name and image of the 45th president in DUPR shows a rating of 4.180. We've confirmed with DUPR that it is in fact not Trump.
The snails were not available to comment on whether the blocking is because he isn't a 5.0.
