Judge Rejects ‘Ragtag’ Theories in Lawsuit Seeking To Halt White House Ballroom Project

A federal judge will not order work on President Trump’s $400 million ballroom project to be halted, saying the non-profit group that filed a suit to delay the project relied on a “ragtag group of theories” as the basis of its challenge.The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit in December asking United States District Court Judge Richard J. Leon to order an immediate halt on construction of the 90,000 square foot building.Judge Leon released a decision on Thursday saying the preservation group did not give him evidence that would make him believe the suit would be successful. He did give the trust time to revise its complaint, but President Trump already is claiming total victory in the case.“Great news for America, and our wonderful White House!” Mr. Trump said in a Truth Social post Thursday afternoon. “The Judge on the case of what will be the most beautiful Ballroom anywhere in the World, has just thrown out, and completely erased, the effort to stop its construction.”The ballroom project has faced significant backlash for months. The White House issued a press release last July announcing plans for a new ballroom as part of a “heavily changed, and reconstructed” East Wing.Construction crews tore down the entire East Wing in October and the National Trust contacted the National Park Service and other federal agencies to express concern over the massive new construction. The group asked for a pause so the project could go through the legally required public review process. The group filed suit after it claimed it received no response.“The White House is arguably the most evocative building in our country and a globally recognized symbol of our powerful American ideals. As the organization charged with protecting places where our history happened, the National Trust was compelled to file this case,” the organization’s chief executive officer, Carol Quillen, said in a statement.The suit contended that construction started before plans were filed with the National Capital Planning Commission and that no required environmental impact work was carried out. The suit also stated that Congress needs to authorize construction of the building and claimed Mr. Trump is violating the Property Clause of the Constitution, which reserves to Congress the right to dispose of and make all rules regarding property belonging to the United States.In a December court filing in response to the suit, the Trump administration claimed that if the court issued an injunction halting construction it would have national security implications. The Secret Service said that continued “improvements to the site are still needed before the safety and security requirements can be met.”The administration claimed that a pause in construction would hamper the Secret Service’s “ability to meet its statutory obligations and protective mission.”Judge Leon said the National Trust did not prove Mr. Trump exceeded his powers with the construction.Earlier this month, a panel made up of members appointed by Mr. Trump approved the plans for the ballroom project.Construction of the full building is not expected to begin until April at the earliest. The project is not scheduled to be finished until 2028, a few months before President Trump’s second term ends.The new building will be approximately 90,000 square feet and will be connected to the Executive Mansion through a two-story passageway. The second story will provide direct access from the East Room to the State Ballroom, while ground-floor access to and from the Executive Mansion will remain.

Judge Rejects ‘Ragtag’ Theories in Lawsuit Seeking To Halt White House Ballroom Project

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