President Donald Trump has unleashed a series of lengthy social media posts in a rant about a “highly political judge” who has once again demanded a pause in construction on much of the White House ballroom.
District Court Judge Richard Leon, an appointee of former President George W. Bush who has previously expressed frustration at government lawyers in the case, accused those same attorneys of being “disingenuous” in a 10-page order Thursday that clarified above-ground construction of the ballroom is still halted.
“It is, to say the least, incredible, if not disingenuous, that Defendants now argue that my Order does not stop ballroom construction because of the safety-and-security exception,” he wrote.
Leon clarified that any construction related to national security and safety could continue, after lawyers for the government argued the building “implicates the personal safety” of the president.
“This highly political Judge, and his illegal overreach, is out of control, and costing our Nation greatly,” Trump wrote in one fiery Truth Social post Thursday afternoon. “This is a mockery to our Court System! The Ballroom is deeply important to our National Security, and no Judge can be allowed to stop this Historic and Militarily Imperative Project.”
The president accused “Trump Hating” Leon of having “gone out of his way to undermine National Security, and to make sure that this Great Gift to America gets delayed, or doesn’t get built.”
The federal judge is “attempting to prevent future Presidents and World Leaders from having a safe and secure large scale Meeting Place, or Ballroom,” Trump added.
Just two weeks ago, Leon ordered the Trump administration to pause construction of the White House ballroom, claiming it needed approval from Congress to erect the 90,000-sqare foot structure. Leon did say any construction related to national security – such as the below-ground facility – was permitted to continue.
But lawyers for the administration asked an appeals court to prevent Leon’s order from taking effect because the construction was imperative to the safety of the president. The appeals court granted their request and asked Leon to consider the national security implications.
Leon said the administration’s latest assertions were a direct contradiction of their previous claims that the below-ground work on a military-grade bunker was separate from the above-ground construction of the actual ballroom.
Last month, the president told reporters the military was involved in building a “big complex” under the $400 million structure – potentially akin to the Presidential Emergency Operations Center, which was originally under the East Wing. He indicated the bunker would include “major medical facilities,” a “hospital” and “bomb shelters.”
In another Truth Social post later Thursday, Trump argued that the below-ground facility could not be built without the above-ground ballroom.
He said the “out of control” judge “wants me to build the ‘underground’ portion of the Ballroom, without the ‘above ground’ portion, but the underground doesn’t work, isn’t necessary, and would indeed be useless, without the above ground sections.”
Lawyers for the government have repeatedly argued that the national security elements of the ballroom construction made it imperative to continue, including below-ground construction.
But in his original ruling, Leon rejected their sweeping argument, saying “the existence of a ‘large hole’ beside the White House is, of course, a problem of the President’s own making!”
Leon did permit “construction necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House” to continue.
But that exception was not enough, lawyers for the government told an appeals court.
Leon rejected their claim once again in Thursday’s order.
“I previously rejected Defendants' argument that ‘any construction delay will undermine national security’ because - and here is the bottom line - Defendants themselves forged ahead and created this ‘coordinated and managed safety hazard’ on White House grounds,” Leon said.
“In my view, these arguments fail to justify Defendants' extraordinary, if not disingenuous, reading of my preliminary injunction Order,” the judge wrote.
Demolition crews started tearing down parts of the East Wing last October to make way for the planned ballroom.
Trump had complained in one of his Truth Social posts that the ballroom is “needed now.”
“Almost all material necessary for its construction is being built and/or on its way to the site, ready for installation and erection. Much of it has already been paid for, costing Hundreds of Millions of Dollars,” Trump wrote.
The ballroom is being paid for by private donors, including Amazon, Apple and Google, according to a list given to media outlets by the White House.
Leon clarified that any construction related to necessary structural integrity or safety was still permitted, including “waterproofing, water management, structural reinforcement, and sealing off exposed construction areas” so long as it does not “lock in” the above-ground ballroom.
He added that below-ground construction, and any above-ground work necessary to cover, secure or protect the below-ground facility, was allowed.
“I will close by noting that I have no desire or intention to be dragooned into the role of construction manager,” Leon concluded.
In another Truth Social post Thursday afternoon, Trump questioned Leon’s motives: “Too much hard work, time, and money spent in order that a Judge can claim that he ruled against ‘DONALD TRUMP,’ something which I have gotten very used to, BUT WILL NOT ACCEPT!”
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