Inside Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom: Bunkers, hospital and more
Workers build a helipad on the South Lawn of the White House, left, and continue construction on the new White House ballroom, right, as seen from the Washington Monument. (Photo: AP)The US Supreme Court has allowed President Donald Trump’s administration to keep building his White House ballroom for now, pausing a lower court order that would have stopped most of the work, news agency Reuters reported.
The ballroom is part of a wider project at the site of the demolished East Wing. According to Reuters, the plan combines an above-ground ballroom with a large underground complex. Trump has said the underground section includes bomb shelters, medical facilities, and shielding from drones and missiles, describing the whole project as “one big, expensive and very complex unit.”
The above-ground ballroom alone covers 90,000 square feet, or around 8,360 square metres. The Justice Department told the court in an August 14 filing that the full East Wing project, both underground and above ground, is 65 per cent complete.
The East Wing that was torn down used to house the First Lady’s offices and the White House movie theatre. It was first built in 1902 under President Theodore Roosevelt and expanded in 1942 under President Franklin Roosevelt.
Why the court stepped in
The court’s move, known as an administrative stay, gives the justices more time to consider the administration’s request to keep construction going while a lawsuit from a historic preservation group works its way through the courts. Chief Justice John Roberts, who handles emergency cases from Washington, DC, issued the stay.
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Justice Department lawyers argued in their filing that the project is needed for national security, pointing to past assassination attempts against Trump and other threats. They described the case as involving an extraordinary and unlawful injunction that will halt the ongoing construction of the integrated military complex.”
Trump welcomed the decision on social media, calling the project “THE GREATEST OF ITS KIND” and saying it is vital for national security.
The legal fight so far
The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued last year after the administration demolished the East Wing and began building the ballroom without seeking approval from Congress.
On August 7, the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled 2-1 to uphold an order from US District Judge Richard Leon directing the administration to stop above-ground construction. The appeals court said each President is a temporary tenant, not the owner, of the White House and cannot reshape it without Congress signing off.
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Judge Leon’s original order did not ban the ballroom completely. It stopped above-ground work while allowing underground construction to continue, along with any work considered necessary for the safety and security of the White House. The appeals court added that national security arguments are not an automatic get out of law free card.”
Trump has called the appeals court ruling “horrendous” and politically motivated, saying it left him, White House staff, and visitors exposed to danger. Lawyers for the National Trust told the Supreme Court that each court to examine the question has agreed the administration has no legal authority to build the ballroom without Congress’s approval, and that courts have repeatedly told the administration to halt construction until it receives that approval.
A National Trust spokesperson said after Friday’s ruling that this is not a final decision on the merits of the government’s stay application, and we await further action.
The ballroom project is one piece of Trump’s broader plan to reshape parts of Washington. This also includes a planned 250-foot, or 76-metre, arch, along with changes to the Kennedy Center, a well-known cultural and performance venue.
