The Trump administration urged a federal judge not to block construction of the White House ballroom, arguing the project is critical to national security and cannot be safely paused.
In a Monday filing, the Justice Department asked U.S. District Judge Richard Leon to stay any injunction against the East Wing modernization, warning that stopping work would disrupt Secret Service operations and leave an exposed excavation site in President’s Park. The DOJ said it would immediately appeal to the D.C. Circuit if construction is halted and requested any order be delayed during appellate review.
The request follows Leon’s skepticism of the administration’s legal theory allowing President Trump to build the ballroom with private donations without explicit congressional approval, a framework he previously compared to a “Rube Goldberg contraption.” The government again cited Secret Service declarations warning the partially demolished East Wing and underground construction already complicate protective measures, calling the open site a security hazard, and said it will submit a classified filing detailing the national security risks.
The lawsuit, brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, argues the project violates a 1912 statute requiring congressional approval for federal construction. Leon has declined to issue a temporary restraining order and is expected to rule on a preliminary injunction in February, with the administration signaling it will appeal if work is stopped.
