President Donald Trump lashed out Thursday after a federal judge again blocked above-ground construction of his planned White House ballroom, escalating a legal fight over one of the most visible building projects of his second term.
Judge Again Blocks Visible Ballroom Work
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled that the administration still cannot move forward with the visible portion of the $400 million, 90,000-square-foot structure without congressional approval, though some security-related work below ground may continue.
In a Truth Social post, Trump attacked Leon over the decision. “A Trump Hating Judge, for the first time in History, wants Congress to pay Hundreds of Millions of Dollars for a Glorious Ballroom, instead of accepting Donations from Great American Companies and Citizens,” Trump wrote.
He added, “This is a first — In other words, he wants Tax Payers to pay for the Ballroom, instead of Donors and Patriots! The Ballroom is FREE to our Country, A GIFT, and vital for our National Security.” Trump closed by saying, “This Judge, who works for another Judge who was just MANDAMUSED for the unfair and biased way he treats me, should be ashamed of himself!”
Leon Allows Limited Security Work Below
According to a Reuters report, Leon’s revised order said the administration may continue below-ground construction tied to national security facilities, as well as above-ground work “strictly necessary” to cover and protect those facilities, so long as it does not lock in the ballroom’s final size and scale. The Trump administration quickly appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, while Leon paused his order for seven days.
Lawsuit Keeps Ballroom Fight Alive
The ruling came five days after the appeals court told Leon to clarify his March 31 injunction. That earlier order halted construction on the ballroom project, planned for the site where the East Wing once stood after it was demolished last year at Trump’s direction. Leon wrote Thursday that the court had taken claims about national and presidential security seriously, which is why his original order included a safety exception.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is suing to stop the project. Leon had earlier declined to halt construction twice, but in his March 31 injunction he said no law “comes close” to authorizing Trump to build such a structure without Congress.
Image via Shutterstock/ noamgalai
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