The Trump administration has filed an emergency motion to resume construction on a planned ballroom at the White House, arguing the work is necessary for national security. Lawyers for the administration and the National Park Service on Friday called a recent court decision to pause construction “shocking, unprecedented, and improper.”
Trump White House Ballroom Project and National Security Concerns
The motion argues that the court-ordered suspension left a “massive excavation” site next to the executive mansion, “threatening grave national-security harms to the White House, the President and his family, and the President’s staff.”
“This order is untenable and must be stayed,” the motion stated. “The building is under construction, with deep Top Secret excavations, foundations, and structures, already built.”
The motion outlines security measures planned for the ballroom, including drone-proof roofing materials and bullet and blast-resistant glass. “Time is of the essence,” the motion reads.
Destroying the East Wing
The filing is the latest response to a March 31 ruling from Judge Richard Leon, an appointee of former Republican President George W Bush. Judge Leon ordered construction to stop, citing the need for congressional approval for such a transformative project.
Trump has sought to leave his mark on Washington, D.C., and quickly announced plans to revamp the White House upon returning to office. These plans included constructing a ballroom inspired by his Mar-a-Lago resort.
The designs alarmed historians, architects, and preservation advocates, who worried about the potential destruction of existing structures, including the East Wing, originally built in 1902. Trump initially pledged to preserve the East Wing, stating the new ballroom “won’t interfere with the current building.”
However, in October, Trump demolished the East Wing.
The demolition prompted the National Trust for Historic Preservation to file a lawsuit in December, arguing the Trump administration had failed to obtain the necessary authorisations for the project.
Inside Judge Leon’s Decision
Judge Leon sided with the trust’s call for an injunction, though it was temporary. He allowed the Trump administration time to appeal.
“The President of the United States is the steward of the White House for future generations of First Families. He is not, however, the owner,” Leon wrote in his decision.
While acknowledging the administration’s concerns about leaving an incomplete construction site, Leon dismissed the suggestion as “grasping for straws,” stating the problem was “of the President’s own making.”
Leon allowed limited construction to proceed to “ensure the safety and security of the White House,” but said Trump must petition Congress for full approval. “Unless and until Congress blesses this project through statutory authorization, construction has to stop!”
Commissions Grant Approval
The Trump administration has appealed Leon’s injunction and asserted broad authority to make changes to the White House, citing past renovations under earlier presidents. The project has grown from an initial $200m structure to a nearly $400m one.
Trump has pledged to fund the 90,000 square foot (about 8,360 square metres) construction with private donations. The structure is expected to dwarf the White House’s main executive mansion and disrupt the symmetry of Washington, D.C.’s historical centre.
Critics have questioned the ethics of accepting private donations, suggesting they could be a means of purchasing influence.
However, commissions with Trump allies have already approved the project. The Commission of Fine Arts gave its approval in February, and the National Capital Planning Commission voted in favour of the plans this past week.
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