A federal judge on Tuesday, March 31, ordered the Trump administration to suspend its construction of a $400 million ballroom. It was being built after demolishing the East Wing of the White House.
US District Judge Richard Leon in Washington granted a preservationist group’s request for a preliminary injunction that halts President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom project temporarily.
“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,” wrote Leon, who was nominated to the bench by Republican President George W. Bush, according to denver7.com.
“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!” he added.
Leon reportedly suspended enforcement of his order for 14 days. He acknowledged that the case “raises novel and weighty issues, that halting an ongoing construction project “may raise logistical issues.” He also recognized that the administration might appeal his decision, and ruled that any construction work necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House is exempt from the scope of the injunction.
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The National Trust for Historic Preservation reportedly sued for an order pausing the ballroom project. The trust wanted the project to undergo several independent reviews and win approval from Congress.
Trump denounced the lawsuit, saying the ballroom is “under budget, ahead of schedule, being built at no cost to the Taxpayer, and will be the finest Building of its kind anywhere in the World.” A Justice Department official later told Scripps News that the Trump administration is appealing the judge’s order.
What we know about the ballroom
Construction crews started demolishing part of the East Wing of the White House on October 20 last year, as part of Trump’s project to build a new ballroom. Back in July, President Trump said that the project “won’t interfere with the current building.”
Trump has said that project would be financed by him and private donors. The White House reiterated the message in an X post, saying, “For over 100 years, presidents have enhanced the White House, preserving its legacy as a symbol of our nation. Today, President Trump proudly broke ground on the new, big White House Ballroom. Privately funded, it costs taxpayers nothing & will be cherished for generations.”
Read More | Trump’s ballroom project: Demolition of White House’s East Wing facade begins | See photos
Trump previously opened up about the construction in a Truth Social post too. “I am pleased to announce that ground has been broken on the White House grounds to build the new, big, beautiful White House Ballroom,” he wrote. “Completely separate from the White House itself, the East Wing is being fully modernized as part of this process, and will be more beautiful than ever when it is complete! For more than 150 years, every President has dreamt about having a Ballroom at the White House to accommodate people for grand parties, State Visits, etc.”
Trump added, “I am honored to be the first President to finally get this much-needed project underway — with zero cost to the American Taxpayer! The White House Ballroom is being privately funded by many generous Patriots, Great American Companies, and, yours truly. This Ballroom will be happily used for Generations to come!”
