President Donald Trump is intensifying his criticism of a federal judge overseeing a lawsuit that has delayed portions of his administration’s planned $400 million White House ballroom and rooftop drone facility, arguing that the legal challenge is jeopardizing national security.
In a post Sunday on Truth Social, Trump praised the proposed project’s security capabilities and warned against any effort to obstruct its construction.
“The DronePort at the White House Ballroom will be, perhaps, the most sophisticated anywhere in the World!” Trump wrote Sunday on Truth Social. “It will safeguard our Nation’s Capital, Washington, D.C., long into the future.
“Judge Richard Leon should stop playing games with America’s Security!”
Trump specifically targeted U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, who has been handling the case, and urged him to dismiss the lawsuit brought against the project. The president described the plaintiff as a frequent litigant with no legitimate legal standing and warned that any future attack on the White House would place responsibility on those blocking the project.
“If anything happens, he will be held responsible for the Death and Destruction caused to our Country,” Trump added. “He has already created enough problems by allowing ‘Top Secret’ information to be released and exposed based on a ridiculous lawsuit started by a highly litigious woman (serial plaintiff!) whose ‘strolling,’ in her opinion, will be disturbed by the new, desperately needed structure – In any event, a woman who has absolutely no STANDING!
“With the advent of highly sophisticated, and powerful, modern day weaponry, we can no longer defend Washington, D.C., with rifles and pistols, alone. This ridiculous lawsuit must be dismissed, IMMEDIATELY!” Trump added.
The president’s comments came as the Justice Department renewed its effort to have a court order blocking parts of the project lifted. In a recent filing, government attorneys argued that a shooting incident at a White House security checkpoint earlier this month highlighted the need for enhanced protection measures at the executive complex.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche echoed Trump’s arguments in a five-page court submission, citing multiple threats against the president and criticizing the injunction.
“In light of the recent attacks against President Trump’s life — including two attempts in less than a month — the injunction entered by this Court for the benefit of a strolling woman, who filed suit against the East Wing Project long before she knew what was going to be built (This is a woman who is a known serial plaintiff throughout Washington, D.C.), and who has absolutely no standing, must be immediately vacated, and this suit, which is a complete embarrassment to our Country, must be dismissed,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote in the five-page filing.
“This is a terrible, tremendously harmful case to the United States of America, and all it stands for!”
The gunman involved in the recent White House checkpoint incident was shot by law enforcement officers and later died at a hospital.
The legal dispute stems from an April ruling by Judge Leon, who found that Trump lacked authority to proceed with construction of the ballroom without congressional approval. Leon issued an injunction stopping above-ground construction work on the project. However, an appellate court subsequently paused that ruling, allowing work to continue temporarily through June.
The lawsuit was filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit organization chartered by Congress. The group has continued to pursue the case despite Justice Department arguments that security concerns warrant ending both the injunction and the lawsuit altogether.
Trump has previously outlined ambitious plans for the project, saying it will include not only a large ballroom but also a rooftop drone base and a six-story underground military facility equipped with a hospital and research operations.
During a recent tour of the site with reporters, Trump emphasized the military applications of the structure and its defensive capabilities.
“The entire roof is built for military,” Trump said. “They have a massive drone capacity. Not only is it drone-proof, if a drone hits it, it bounces off, it won’t have any impact. But it’s also meant as a drone port that would protect all of Washington.”
The proposed ballroom would encompass approximately 90,000 square feet, making it substantially larger than existing White House event spaces. The project has become a focal point in a broader debate over presidential authority, federal security spending, and the preservation of historic government properties.
Trump has maintained that the facility is needed to accommodate major events in a secure environment, arguing that existing White House venues are inadequate for gatherings of up to 1,000 attendees.
According to the White House, the project’s security infrastructure will include titanium barriers, reinforced roofing systems, specialized impact-resistant glass, and underground facilities. Trump has also described the roof as being made of “impenetrable steel” and said the fencing is so strong that “a bulldozer cannot knock it over.”
{Matzav.com}
