“The ballroom is very important for our national security, and no judge has the right to put an end to this historic project with absolute military necessity,” reacted Donald Trump following Judge Richard Leon’s decision.
A federal judge in America has extended the suspension of the construction of the ballroom desired by Donald Trump this Thursday, April 16, but has given the green light for the continuation of work on an underground bunker project at the White House.
“The underground work can continue, including the construction of any ‘top secret excavation, bunkers, bomb shelters, protective partitions, military facilities, and medical and healthcare facilities’,” Judge Richard Leon outlined in his decision.
However, he specified that the construction project of a bunker could continue in the context of national security, on the condition that it does not “definitively determine the size and scope of the above-ground ballroom”.
Invoking “national security does not give carte blanche to engage in activities that would otherwise be illegal,” he added.
Donald Trump denounced this decision on Truth Social, labeling the judge as “highly political” and “out of control”. “It’s a parody of our judiciary system!” he wrote. “The ballroom is very important for our national security, and no judge has the right to put an end to this historic project with absolute military necessity.”
A room intended to accommodate up to 1,000 people
According to him, blocking the construction of the ballroom “means that no future president, living in the White House without a ballroom, will be safe during events, future inauguration ceremonies, or international summits.”
In October, the Republican president bulldozed an entire wing of the White House to build this ballroom intended to accommodate up to 1,000 people, for various receptions and dinners in honor of foreign dignitaries.
In December, the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) took the issue to court, accusing the Trump administration of not meeting legal requirements for public inquiry, nor obtaining Congressional approval for this project, the budget of which, funded by private donations, doubled, increasing from $200 million to $400 million (approximately 339 million euros).
