A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration's attempt to resurrect construction of a $400 million White House ballroom by claiming it falls under national security protections. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled Thursday that the administration was stretching the boundaries of his previous court order, which had halted the 90,000-square-foot project pending congressional approval.
The core dispute centers on language Leon included in his original injunction permitting work on "actions strictly necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House and its grounds." The administration seized on that carve-out, arguing the entire ballroom qualifies as a national security facility because it would sit atop an underground bunker and protective infrastructure.
Leon rejected the argument with visible frustration, writing that the administration's interpretation was neither reasonable nor correct. "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 in his order.
The Justice Department had filed new paperwork claiming the bunker cannot function without adequate above-ground cover, making the entire project an integrated whole necessary for national security. Leon disagreed flatly. "National security is not a blank check to proceed with otherwise unlawful activity," he wrote.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, which filed the original lawsuit, had called the administration's shifting rationale a "brazen contortion of the laws of vocabulary." The group pointed out that before Leon's ruling, the administration had maintained the bunker and ballroom were separate projects. That position flipped after the judge blocked the work.
Leon's new order does clarify that underground construction, including security facilities beneath the East Wing, may continue. Above-ground work can proceed only if "strictly necessary to cover, secure, and protect" those underground facilities, provided it does not determine the final size and scale of any ballroom structure.
The ruling allows the government seven days to appeal before the order takes effect. Legal experts note the administration could attempt to escalate the case to the federal appeals court that previously asked Leon to clarify the scope of his injunction.
The ballroom project, a signature Trump initiative, requires congressional authorization under the law, according to Leon's interpretation. The National Trust for Historic Preservation challenged it on those grounds, arguing the president exceeded his authority by launching the massive construction effort without legislative approval.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "The judge's blunt language here signals he sees through the national security smokescreen, and Leon's not likely to bend if the administration tries the same argument again."
Comments