Trump, forced to stop work on the White House ballroom. Federal judge rules: 'The president does not own the building'
A federal judge has ordered a halt to the construction of US President Donald Trump's proposed White House ballroom. He stated that he does not have the authority to finance the estimated $400 million project through private donations.
Trump showing the sketch of the new east wing proposed for the White House/PHOTO: Profimedia
“The President of the United States is the custodian of the White House for future generations of presidential families. He is not, however, its owner!” Richard Leon wrote in a 35-page decision issued Tuesday afternoon, according to the Washington Post.
He added that “no law comes close to giving the president the authority he claims to have.”
Leon also wrote that Trump needs to identify a law that would have allowed him to demolish the White House's East Wing Annex last year without congressional approval.
The judge suspended the ruling for two weeks, saying the Trump administration would almost certainly appeal. At the same time, it allowed the continuation of the work necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House.
In a social media post after the ruling, Trump attacked the organization that filed the lawsuit, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, saying it was a “radical left group of lunatics”.
The president also questioned why the organization sued the administration over the ballroom and planned changes to the Kennedy Center, but not over the Federal Reserve headquarters renovation project that Trump has repeatedly criticized as extravagant and too expensive.
“It doesn't make much sense, does it?”Trump wrote.
At a March 17 hearing, Leon repeatedly questioned the administration's position that the president does not need congressional approval for the project.
Administration lawyers have argued that Congress implicitly authorized the president to make changes to the White House when it appropriated several million dollars for alteration and maintenance work on the presidential residence.
During the hearing, Leon called that argument “defiant” given the scale of the planned 8,360-square-foot project.
Recently, Trump had stated that the US military is building a “large complex” under the White House ballroom, which will serve as a shelter, including protection against drones.
“Right now, the army is building a large complex under the ballroom (…) Everything is going very well, we are just ahead of schedule,” said Trump, on Sunday, from the plane on which he returned from the weekend spent in Florida, showing the plans of the ballroom to the press, writes Agerpres.
“The ballroom actually serves as a shelter for everything that's being built underneath by the military, including protection against drones and stuff”he continued.
