A federal judge has effectively halted construction of President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom construction project.
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon made the decision, granting the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s request for a preliminary injunction.
Leon said in the decision that Trump is, indeed, the “steward” of the White House but not the “owner.” Therefore, Trump must obtain congressional approval to continue the project:
President Trump (“the President”) claims that Congress has given him authority in existing statutes to construct his East Wing ballroom project and to do it with private funds. The plaintiff, the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States (“National Trust”), claims the President has no such authority under existing statutes and that a preliminary injunction is necessary to avoid irreparable harm.
“I have concluded that the National Trust is likely to succeed on the merits because no statute comes close to giving the President the authority he claims to have,” Leon said.
“As such, I must therefore GRANT the National Trust’s Motion for a Preliminary Injunction, and the ballroom construction project must stop until Congress authorizes its completion,” he concluded.
“We are pleased with Judge Leon’s ruling today to order a halt to any further ballroom construction until the Administration complies with the law and obtains express authorization to go forward,” National Trust for Historic Preservation president and CEO of the Carol Quillen said.
Notably, workers officially tore down the East Wing in October, preparing the way for construction.
Following Leon’s decision, the Trump administration filed a notice to appeal. According to the AP, he told reporters, “We built many things at the White House over the years. They don’t get congressional approval.”
He also took to Truth Social, maintaining that the judge is “WRONG” and describing the preservation group as “a Radical Left Group of Lunatics.”
“Congressional approval has never been given on anything, in these circumstances, big or small, having to do with construction at the White House. In this case, even less so, because the Ballroom is being built with Private Donations, no Federal Taxpayer Money!” he said.
Trump last year announced plans to construct a massive State Ballroom, aiming to solve ongoing capacity issues while maintaining the elegant appeal of the People’s House. The new construction would increase capacity from 200 seated to 650, effectively replacing the old East Wing which has been renovated multiple times throughout the years.
The White House said at the time, “For 150 years, administrations have struggled with the lack of a large, dignified space for major events.”
It continued:
The White House is currently unable to host major functions honoring world leaders and other countries without having to install a large and unsightly tent approximately 100 yards away from the main building entrance. The White House State Ballroom will be a much-needed and exquisite addition with a seated capacity of 650 people — a significant increase from the 200-person seated capacity in the East Room of the White House.
Despite historic tradition, Democrats have made wild claims about the upgrade, with some deeming the construction “lawlessness” and others a “wrecking ball to our democracy.”
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