WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump expressed displeasure on Thursday with a federal judge’s decision to continue blocking above-ground construction of the $400 million White House ballroom, allowing only construction of underground bunkers and other “national security facilities” at the site. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon’s latest ruling came in response to an appeals court directive clarifying a previous ruling regarding the demolition of a 90,000-square-foot (8,400-square-meter) ballroom planned for the East Wing of the White House. Trump took to social media to describe Leon, who was nominated to the bench by Republican President George W. Bush, as a “Trump-hating” judge who “will work tirelessly to undermine national security and ensure that this great gift to America is delayed or never built.” Leon said underground safety measures are not subject to his order suspending above-ground construction. Government lawyers argue that the program includes critical safety features to protect against a range of possible threats, such as drones, ballistic missiles and biohazards. Days earlier, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit directed Leon to reconsider the national security implications of halting construction. In his previous order, Leon prohibited above-ground work at the ballroom without congressional approval. The judge also ruled on March 31 that any construction work needed to ensure the security of the White House was exempt from the ban. Leon said he reviewed materials submitted to him privately by the government and concluded halting construction would not endanger national security. Leon has suspended orders through March 31 for two weeks. He delayed the latest decision for another week, giving the government more time to seek Supreme Court review. Leon said he only ordered above-ground construction of the planned banquet hall to stop, except for any work needed to cover or protect portions of the project. Otherwise, the Trump administration is free to continue building any excavations, bunkers, military installations and medical facilities beneath the ballroom. “Defendants argue that the entire ballroom construction project, from start to finish, falls within the safety and security exception and therefore may proceed,” the judge wrote. “This is neither a reasonable nor a correct interpretation of my order!” On Saturday, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said there was insufficient information to decide how many programs could be suspended without endangering the safety of the president, his family or White House staff. Leon said he recognized the security implications of the case but stressed that “national security is not a blank check for other illegal activities.” He also said he had “no intention or unwillingness to be thrust into the role of construction manager.” On April 2, two days after Leon’s last ruling, Trump’s ballroom received final approval from the 12-member State Capital Planning Commission, which approves construction on federal properties in the Washington area. The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed the lawsuit in December, a week after the White House completed demolition of the East Wing to make way for a ballroom that Trump said would seat 999 people. Trump said the project was funded by private donations, although public funds were used to pay for the bunker construction and security upgrades.
