Trump asks Supreme Court to let White House ballroom construction continue

The Trump administration on Friday filed a petition with the US Supreme Court seeking permission to continue construction of a large ballroom planned for the site of the White House's demolished East Wing. Solicitor General D. John Sauer told the court the case concerns an "extraordinary and unlawful" injunction blocking what he described as an "integrated military complex," including a fully secure ballroom, which he said is vitally required for national security. Chief Justice John Roberts has given the plaintiffs until Tuesday to respond.

Court battle

The case was originally brought by the nonprofit National Trust for Historic Preservation after the East Wing was torn down and construction began on a 90,000-square-foot (about 8,360-square-meter) ballroom. On August 7, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 to uphold a lower court's order halting above-ground work, stating that the decision on whether to build such a large ballroom belongs to Congress, not to unilateral executive action.

Security and funding claims

Justice Department lawyers cited a July 8 missile threat against Air Force One, during which Trump was flown out of Turkey on a secret flight, along with other recent assassination attempts, to justify the need for a secure space. The filing states the project remains on schedule and under budget, financed by roughly $400 million in private donations. Democrats, however, contend that Trump's tax legislation is also helping fund the project, and Congress has not approved the administration's request for additional funding.

The ballroom is one of several projects Trump has planned for Washington, D.C., which also include renovations to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and construction of a large arch.

Responding to the filing, the National Trust accused the White House of trying to "outrun the courts" by speeding up construction, pointing to plans to install roughly 453,592 kilograms of rebar and pour about 2,294 cubic meters of concrete over the coming week. The group has urged the Supreme Court to reject the administration's appeal.