President Donald Trump’s administration has filed an emergency motion to restart construction on the White House banquet hall, saying completion is necessary for national security.
On Friday, lawyers for the Trump administration and the National Park Service said the recent court decision to pause construction was “shocking, unprecedented and inappropriate.”
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They argued that the court-ordered injunction would leave a “massive excavation” site next to the presidential palace that “could pose significant national security harm to the White House, the President and his family, and the presidential staff.”
“This order is untenable and must be stopped,” the motion (PDF) states. “The building is under construction, with secret excavations, foundations and structures already in place.”
The motion outlines various safety measures that will be incorporated into the banquet hall project, including drone-proof roofing and bullet- and explosion-proof glass.
“Time is of the essence,” the motion reads.
destroy the east wing
The court filing was the Trump administration’s latest response to the March 31 ruling by Judge Richard Leon, an appointee of former Republican President George W. Bush.
Judge Leon issued a 35-page ruling (PDF) ordering construction to halt, saying a project as transformative as this requires parliamentary approval.
Trump has long sought to make his mark on Washington, D.C., the nation’s capital. When he returned to the White House for a second term, he immediately announced plans to overhaul the White House.
His plans included a proposal to pave the Rose Garden and build a ballroom with more space to accommodate White House functions. He cited South Florida resort Mar-a-Lago as inspiration for the renovation.
Still, his design alarmed historians, architects, and preservationists, who feared that changes could destroy the existing design and structures, including the east wing, which was first constructed in 1902.
Mr. Trump dismissed those concerns and initially promised to keep the east wing.
President Trump said last July that he would not interfere with the current building regarding plans for the banquet hall. “It’s close, but it doesn’t touch, and it pays full respect to the existing building.”
However, in October, President Trump suddenly demolished the East Tower, which was demolished within days.
The sudden reversal sparked widespread public backlash. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit group that protects historic sites, filed a lawsuit in December seeking to block the banquet hall project after trying to contact the White House to express its concerns.
The nonprofit claimed the Trump administration failed to obtain the proper permits to build the new banquet hall.
Breakdown of Judge Leon’s ruling
Judge Leon upheld the trust’s request for an injunction against further construction, although the injunction granted in March was only temporary.
It also included a time limit for the Trump administration to appeal before the injunction goes into effect.
“The President of the United States is the custodian of the White House for future generations of the First Family, but he is not the owner,” Leon wrote in the decision.
His ruling acknowledged the Trump administration’s argument that leaving construction sites unfinished “endangers national security.” However, Leon rejected the suggestion, saying that the defenders were “grasping at straws.”
“While I take seriously the administration’s concerns regarding the safety and security of the White House grounds and the President himself, the existence of a ‘gaping hole’ on the side of the White House is, of course, a problem of the President’s own making!” Leon wrote.
“Reckless claims of ‘national security’ cannot excuse the government’s failure to comply with the law and insulate that failure from judicial review.”
However, Leon issued an exception to the injunction against further construction. Under his order, the Trump administration was allowed to proceed with limited construction to “ensure the safety and security of the White House.”
Leon said President Trump would have to apply to Congress for approval for the rest. “Unfortunately for the defendants, unless and until Congress approves this project through statutory authorization, construction must cease!”
Approval by the committee
But the Trump administration has appealed Leon’s blockade of the project, citing past renovations under previous presidents and asserting broad authority to make changes to the White House.
Since President Trump announced the ballroom last year, the project has grown from $200 million to nearly $400 million, according to current estimates.
President Trump has pledged to use private donations to fund construction of the 90,000-square-foot building.
Such a gigantic structure is expected to dwarf the main building, the White House Executive Residence, and challenge the symmetry established in Washington, D.C.’s historic center.
Critics have also questioned the ethics of accepting private donations, saying such funds could be seen as a means to buy influence.
But a committee led by Trump allies has already given approval to the project, despite questions about changes to the ballroom’s design.
The Fine Arts Commission gave the ballroom the go-ahead in February, and the National Capital Planning Commission also voted in favor last week.
