A US judge has stalled construction of Donald Trump’s controversial White House ballroom project, prompting the President to lash out on social media.
Judge Richard Leon, a George W Bush appointee, ruled on Thursday to again block construction of the $400m (£296m) ballroom, saying that Congress must approve the project. He also said that Trump appeared to be trying to dodge a previous court order by reclassifying the ballroom plans as vital for national security.
“National security is not a blank cheque to proceed with otherwise unlawful activity,” the judge wrote in a 10-page ruling, calling the Trump administration’s interpretation of his earlier order “brazen” and “disingenuous”.
He emphasised that the order he issued in March was meant to stop all “above-ground” components of the project, while permitting construction for an underground bunker, bomb shelters, and military installations or medical facilities, to go ahead below the planned ballroom.
After the ruling, Trump criticised the federal judge in a post on Truth Social, calling him “highly political” and “Trump Hating”.
The East Wing’s demolition began last year (Photo: Eric Lee/Getty)“This is a mockery to our Court System! The Ballroom is deeply important to our National Security, and no Judge can be allowed to stop this Historic and Militarily Imperative Project,” he wrote.
He added that the ballroom was “needed now”. The Department of Justice has appealed the judge’s order.
US government lawyers have argued that the project includes critical security features to guard against a range of threats, including drones, ballistic missiles, and biohazards.
However, Leon disagreed, writing: “Defendants argue that the entire ballroom construction project, from tip to tail, falls within the safety-and-security exception and therefore may proceed unabated.”
“That is neither a reasonable nor a correct reading of my order!”
Construction of the White House ballroom last month, where the East Wing once stood (Photo: Jacquelyn Martin/AP)In late March the same judge said that proper procedures had not been followed and he temporarily halted construction on the project.
This came after a historic preservation non-profit sued the White House for failing to seek necessary reviews before demolishing the historic East Wing in October.
“No president is legally allowed to tear down portions of the White House without any review whatsoever — not President Trump, not President Joe Biden, and not anyone else,” the lawsuit from the National Trust for Historic Preservation said.
“The White House is arguably the most evocative building in our country and a globally recognised symbol of our powerful American ideals,” said Carol Quillen, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Trump holds up renderings of the planned White House renovation, aboard Air Force One last month (Photo: Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters)The group said it was “compelled” to go to court after the White House ignored concerns it raised in October. They argued that it had broken the law by beginning construction without filing plans with the National Capital Planning Commission nor seeking an environmental assessment of the project, and by refusing to seek authorisation from Congress.
Days after the first court ruling, the plans were approved by the National Capital Planning Commission, a US government executive branch agency that provides planning guidance for Washington, DC.
Trump said on Thursday that the project was being constructed on budget and ahead of schedule. He accused the judge of “attempting to prevent future Presidents and World Leaders from having a safe and secure large scale Meeting Place”.
The ballroom, which will sit atop a ‘military complex’, will replace the recently demolished two-storey East Wing (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty)He added that the ballroom would have “Bomb Shelters”, “State of the Art Hospital and Medical Facilities”, “Top Secret Military Installations”, “Drone Proof Ceilings and Roofs […] which all means that no future President, living in the White House without this Ballroom, can ever be Safe and Secure at Events, Future Inaugurations, or Global Summits”.
The 89,000 sq ft (8,270 sq metres) ballroom is set to be built where the East Wing, which was constructed in 1902, once stood. The space will be for state dinners, galas and other events, and is slated for completion by 2028. It is being funded entirely by private donors, according to the White House.
Initial plans have been expanded from a ballroom with a capacity of 500 people to a space that can fit 1,350 guests.
The new ballroom will be built alongside a ‘modernised’ East Wing of the White House, which currently houses the offices of First Lady Melania Trump and other key White House posts (Photo: White House)The renovation is at the centre of Trump’s efforts to redesign Washington’s landscape, which includes plans to build a giant 250ft (76-metre) arch – taller than the Lincoln Memorial – near Arlington National Cemetery.
The original design of the gold-accented triumphal arch, dubbed the “Arc de Trump”, features a golden Lady Liberty-like statue with a torch and crown on top, flanked by two eagles and guarded at the base by four lions. The phrases “One Nation Under God” and “Liberty and Justice for All” would be inscribed in gold lettering atop either side of the monument.
The US Commission of Fine Arts, made up of Trump appointees, voted to approve the concept design for the arch on Thursday, with some tweaks. However, it still needs final approval, and has received negative feedback from the public and preservation groups.
This latest ruling from the courts could place in doubt Trump’s grand ambition for his White House legacy.
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