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A US federal judge on Tuesday ordered the Trump administration to stop the construction of a $400 million US ballroom on the site where it demolished the East Wing of the White House, preventing construction from continuing without congressional approval.
US District Judge Richard Leon in Washington granted a conservation group’s request for a preliminary injunction that would temporarily halt President Donald Trump’s White House project.
Leon, who was appointed to the bench by former Republican president George W. Bush, concluded that the National Trust for Historic Preservation will likely succeed on the merits of its claims because “there is no law that comes close to giving the President the authority that he claims he has.”
The President of the United States is the steward of the White House for future generations of the First Family. He is not the owner though!– Judge Richard Leon
“The President of the United States is the steward of the White House for future generations of First Families. He is not, however, the owner!” wrote the judge.
In a statement, Carol Quillen, president and CEO of the National Trust, welcomed Leon’s decision.
“This is a win for the American people on a project that permanently affects one of our nation’s most beloved and historic sites,” Quillen said.
Leon suspended the operation of his order for 14 days, admitting that the case “raises new and weighty issues, that stopping an ongoing construction project “may raise planning problems.” He also realized that the administration may appeal his decision, which they did a few hours later, to the US Court of Appeals based in the Washington District of Columbia Circuit.
The judge ruled that any construction work necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House is exempt from the scope of the order. Leon said he reviewed materials the government sent him privately before concluding that halting construction would not jeopardize national security.
Trump, in a social media post, criticized his trust by accusing him of a project he said was built at no cost to taxpayers. “It doesn’t make much sense, does it?” he wrote.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the decision.
US President Donald Trump is now planning to demolish the entire East Wing of the White House after previously saying the existing building would not be ‘disturbed’ during the US $300-million renovation. Administration sources say the demolition will be completed by the weekend.
Conservationists sued to get an order to stop the ballroom project until it undergoes more independent reviews and receives congressional approval.
The White House announced the ballroom project over the summer. By the end of October, Trump had demolished the East Wing to make way for a ballpark that he said would seat 999 people. The White House said private donations, including from Trump himself, will pay for the planned construction of the 90,000-square-foot ballroom.
Trump went ahead with the project before seeking input from two federal review panels, the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission on Fine Arts. Trump has included both commissioners and allies.
US President Donald Trump’s name appears everywhere in Washington – from reforms to US currency to government buildings and new programs. Critics argue that the “Trumpification” of Washington crosses the line between public duty and personal branding.
On Feb. 26, Leon rejected the preservation group’s first request to temporarily halt the construction of the ballroom. He said the privately funded group has moved its challenge from a “ragtag group” of legal theory and will have a better chance of success if it amends the case, which it did.
Officials say construction on the ballroom will begin in April.
“We have two weeks left,” said plaintiffs’ attorney Thaddeus Heuer during the hearing on March 17. “It’s close now.”
