Trump Moves to Restart White House Ballroom, Cites National Security
Key Takeaways
- Trump administration filed an emergency motion to resume White House ballroom construction citing national security.
- A federal judge ordered a halt to the project pending congressional go-ahead.
- The project is valued at about $400 million and funded by private donors.
Emergency Appeal Filed
Trump's administration filed an emergency motion to restart construction after a judge ordered work halted.
“The administration of Donald Trump has filed an emergency appeal invoking national security to resume construction of a controversial $400 million White House ballroom project, after a federal judge ordered work halted”
The motion described the suspension as leaving a massive excavation site threatening grave national-security harms.
It outlined security measures including drone-proof roofing and bullet-resistant glass.
The filing was unusually informal for a legal documents, with exclamation points and asides.
Judge Leon ordered construction to stop pending congressional approval.
Bunker Built Beneath Ballroom
The ballroom is being built on the site of the former East Wing, which was demolished.
Beneath the ballroom, crews are carving out a new Presidential Emergency Operations Center.
Trump acknowledged the bunker was supposed to be secret but became public due to the lawsuit.
The PEOC dates back to World War II but has been upgraded repeatedly.
The existence of the PEOC has been an open secret for decades.
Judge Blocks Construction
Judge Leon ordered construction to stop, ruling Trump lacked congressional authority.
He wrote the president is the custodian but not the owner of the White House.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued to block the project.
The judge stayed his ruling for two weeks to allow for an appeal.
Funding and Public Reaction
The project is being funded entirely with private donations.
Trump criticized the National Trust as left-wing extremists.
The project has drawn disapproval from the public and conservation groups.
Some Republicans questioned the need for such an expensive addition.
More on USA
US Recovers Downed F-15 Weapons Officer in Daring 48-Hour Iran Rescue
35 sources compared
Trump Escalates Iran War, Threatens to Seize Oil and Kharg Island
18 sources compared
Trump Threatens Rampant Infrastructure Bombings To Open Hormuz Strait
14 sources compared
Pentagon Chief Hegseth Fires Army Chief George Amid War Push
16 sources compared