Donald Trump's administration has told a US federal appeals court that stopping work on a $400 million White House ballroom in Washington would pose a 'national security threat', arguing that the vast new East Wing complex is essential to protect the president, his family and staff from missile and drone attacks.
The ballroom project has been tied up in a legal fight since a lower court judge ordered most construction to halt last month, ruling that Donald Trump could not unilaterally push ahead without explicit approval from Congress. The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued to stop the overhaul, accusing the White House of trampling statutory limits while bulldozing one of the most symbolically charged buildings in the United States.
