The president said he would be “held responsible for death and destruction” if a judge did not approve the new White House banquet hall.
Watch King Charles joke about Trump’s ballroom project
King Charles III joked about President Donald Trump’s new ballroom during a state dinner.
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump has unveiled another justification for his controversial plan to build a massive new ballroom and bunker beneath the demolished East Wing of the White House. It’s a rooftop “drone port” he says is necessary to protect the nation’s capital from modern threats.
In a lengthy post on Truth Social on Sunday, May 31, President Trump claimed that the proposed drone facility is “probably the most sophisticated in the world” and will be needed to protect Washington, D.C., “for years to come.”
President Trump also accused the federal judge who put the brakes on the plan on Friday of undermining U.S. national security by allowing a lawsuit challenging the plan to proceed.
“Judge Richard Leon needs to stop playing games with America’s Security!” Trump wrote. “If something were to happen, he would be held responsible for the death and destruction caused to our country.”
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, an appointee of President George W. Bush, ruled in late March that Trump did not have legal authority to build the 90,000-square-foot ballroom “without the express authorization of Congress.”
Leon issued an injunction blocking “the above-ground construction of the planned banquet hall,” but that order was quickly put on hold by the Court of Appeals. Construction continues, as do legal battles surrounding the project.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump also accused Leon of “causing enough trouble by allowing the publication and divulgence of ‘top secret’ information” in an amended lawsuit filed last month by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Since the White House was suspected of being the target of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack by Al Qaeda, successive administrations have adopted new protective measures to protect the president’s home and office.. These details have been consistently hidden from the public for fear of supporting those who would harm the United States.
But despite criticizing Leung for sharing what he said was classified information, Trump included in his post two detailed renderings of various drones on a massive rooftop like the one envisioned for the new East Tower.
“With the advent of highly sophisticated and powerful modern weaponry, rifles and pistols alone can no longer protect Washington, D.C.,” Trump wrote. “This ridiculous lawsuit must be dismissed immediately!”
Questions and concerns regarding President Trump’s drone proposal
At least one national security expert was concerned about the level of information President Trump revealed in the renderings.
“Why on earth is President Trump touting the White House’s defense capabilities?” asked Larry Pfeiffer, a former CIA official and senior director of the White House Situation Office, the president’s 24-hour operations and intelligence center. “This only helps our adversary devise countermeasures, all to justify his vain plans. The work of maintaining our government requires secrecy and seriousness.”
Javed Ali, a former senior U.S. counterterrorism official and member of the National Security Council under the first Trump administration, said it would be a good idea to create some kind of counter-drone capability as part of an evolving effort to protect the president and the White House.
“However, questions remain about the operational aspects of this anti-drone system,” he told USA TODAY. “How long will it take to develop through rigorous testing and evaluation? Who will operate it? What are the rules of engagement and protocols for use?”
One Project, Many Reasons President Trump Needs It
What began as President Trump’s long-sought plan for a White House banquet hall has steadily evolved into something much larger.
President Trump initially promoted the program as a way to hold state dinners, receptions and other large events without relying on tents or outdoor venues. He later said extensive modernization of the east wing was needed to replace aging facilities and improve safety.
In December, the National Trust for Historic Preservation filed its first lawsuit against President Trump and several federal agencies to halt construction work, saying it had not gone through the review process, completed a proper environmental assessment, and sought approval from Congress.
President Trump disputed the group’s claims, saying, “At no time has the President needed to authorize a change or enhancement on any special basis, no matter how large (and important!) that enhancement may be.”
Since then, President Trump has varied his reasons for needing the ballroom and often revealed details about the underground bunker, which has now (at least according to Trump’s plan) become a massive facility housing hospitals, high-tech weaponry, and all sorts of other bells and whistles that previous presidents never asked for or deemed necessary.
As legal questions mount, President Trump and his administration have offered a laundry list of national security justifications.
They said the project would include enhanced facilities, air raid shelters, military medical and research space, bomb-resistant structures, and increased protection for the president and visiting dignitaries.
“This goes down to the 6th floor.”
Most recently, President Trump held a softball interview with his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, which included a tour of the White House ballroom construction site and new details about the project.
In a May 30 Fox News report, Trump told his son Eric Trump’s wife that he plans to hold his inauguration as president-elect in his new ballroom.
“Even when it’s finished, I’ll only have it for six years. I’ll only be able to use it for six months,” Trump said in a pre-recorded interview. “There were 902 people in the Capitol, and it was still beautiful, but there were 902 people, so it’s not as safe as this.”
“This is much more than a ballroom. Like you said, this goes up to the sixth floor,” Lara Trump said as she walked. Lara Trump did not say where she heard the new details about the depths of the secret bunker, and Trump did not respond.
President Trump only gave a Fox News crew a tour of the first floor, but he also mentioned weapons in the interview.
“This is going to be the kitchen floor,” Trump said. “And it has a drone port, a sniper port, and all of the above.”
“Wow,” Lara Trump replied. “I can’t wait to see it.”
“It’s going to be the largest facility of its kind ever built,” Trump told the younger Trump at another point. “There’s never been anything quite like this. And we’re ahead of schedule and on budget.”
As a result, the project’s budget has actually increased significantly in recent months, as has its size, even as the president faces more criticism and legal challenges.
“The military is involved, the Secret Service is involved. It’s very secure, the most secure facility ever built,” he told Lara Trump.
