Standing his ground against a Biden administration attempt to "purge" him from the Presidio Trust board – as appointed by President Donald Trump – author and radio host Michael Savage vows to remain on the board and pursue legal action if they carry through on a threat to terminate him.
"It's a public trust that must be cared for by ardent conservationists and preservationists – not by political hacks," Savage told Thursday's "Rob Schmitt Tonight" on Newsmax TV of his serving on the board of the park that rests at the base of the Golden State Bridge in San Francisco.
"So, that is why the board consists of independent individuals, independent of all political influence."
While it is a position that is filled by presidential appointment, a seat on the board is not subject to political wishes and terms are only terminated by resignation or expiration, Savage told host Rob Schmitt, adding his term "ends in 2023; it doesn't end now."
"We are the equivalent, in a way, of the Supreme Court," Savage said of Presidio Trust board members, three of which were appointed by former President Trump and only one of which – Savage – has Biden sought to remove via a letter Thursday morning.
"The president could appoint us, but the president cannot fire us. The reason is, is that we are therefore independent of political influence."
The White House did not respond to requests Thursday for comment on whether it will move forward with its written threat to terminate Savage from the board of the Presidio Trust.
"This came out of the blue this morning: Resign or we're going to fire you by the end of the day," Savage told Schmitt, noting he will not resign and will seek a legal injunction in the Biden administration is attempting to terminate him.
"Well, my lawyer looked into the Presidio Trust bylaws, Rob. And the Congressional Act of 1996 establishing it says there's no one, including the current president, who has the power to terminate an appointed board member. It is not part of the federal government."
Earlier Thursday, Savage told Newsmax he suspected his attempted removal was due to his latest proposal to promote a God & the Soldier exhibit, trumpeting the military and religion.
"This is 1200 pristine acres," Savage said, describing the park in San Francisco the Presidio Trust looks after. "People like me stand in the way of developers. That's what we're there for: To make sure there's not turned over two people want to make a profit off it."
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Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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