WATCH: President Trump’s new ballroom demolished
A crane has been spotted near the White House as the next phase of President Trump’s $200 million, 90,000-square-foot East Wing expansion begins.
A federal judge has refused to block President Donald Trump’s plan to build a $400 million White House ballroom on the site of the demolished East Tower, arguing that preservationists opposed to the move do not currently meet the high bar to halt the project.
U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon’s ruling comes after the National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit in December against President Trump and multiple federal agencies, seeking to stop construction on the 90,000-square-foot ballroom. The nonprofit group argued that Trump should have sought Congressional approval before demolishing the East Tower.
The judge said the organization had not sufficiently proven that the president exceeded his authority. Rather, the challenge was based on a “medley of theories” based on federal law and the Constitution. Still, he said the court will consider additional efforts if the group decides to amend its complaint.
President Trump praised the ruling in a February 26 post on Truth Social, calling it “great news for America.”
“The judge in what would become the world’s most beautiful ballroom has abandoned efforts to prevent its construction and completely erased it,” he said. “As everyone knows, not a single dollar of taxpayers’ money has been spent. Rather, all the money needed to build this wonderful building has been raised by Patriot donors and donors.”
Leon predicted last month that his sentence would not be the end of the story.
“We know there will be an appeal. No matter who wins, the other person will appeal,” Leon said. “So this case will definitely end up in the D.C. Circuit, and probably all the way to the Supreme Court. Who knows?”
On February 19, the Fine Arts Commission, a committee whose members were all appointed by President Trump last month, unanimously approved plans for the 90,000-square-foot White House Ballroom, clearing one of the controversial project’s hurdles.
Then, on March 5, the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), the federal government’s central planning agency, will hold a public hearing. A 12-member commission, with a majority of Trump-appointed allies, will also vote on the plan on the same day.
The White House announced construction in July and by October began the sudden and complete clearing of the east wing to make room for the ballroom, raising concerns from critics, preservationists, and a handful of former residents, including former first ladies Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton.
At a hearing last month, Leung questioned whether the president had the authority to use a complicated private financing arrangement to level the east tower and build a banquet hall while circumventing Congressional approval.
The Trump campaign countered in court that the president did not need approval from lawmakers because the project did not require taxpayer dollars and was funded by private donations.
Democratic lawmakers are wary of accepting money from companies that do business with the federal government.
“President Trump’s gold-plated banquet hall has become a vector for corruption,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). Donors include Palantir, Lockheed Martin and Meta, according to a list provided by the White House. The nonprofit organization The Trust for the National Mall is managing the $400 million endowment for the project.
Carol Quillen, CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said Trump’s project would “overwhelm the White House itself” at 55,000 square feet with 90,000 square feet of new construction, adding, “(The addition) could permanently disrupt the White House’s carefully balanced classical design with its small, low east and west wings.”
President Trump’s project has undergone various changes in funding, seating capacity and cost since the White House first announced plans in July. Prices jumped from $200 million to $400 million, and the banquet hall could now accommodate 1,000 people.
Earlier this month, NCPC posted new renderings of the east wing submitted by architect Shalom Baranes. Renderings showed an imposing new east wing roughly one city block long, but longer than the west wing, which would almost completely obscure the view of the Treasury Building from the White House’s south lawn.
Following the verdict, President Trump said on Truth Social: “It will remain a symbol of American greatness for many years to come!”
