Donald Trump has issued a major update on the construction of a huge ballroom at the White House. The US president took to his Truth Social platform to make the announcement.
He wrote: “Great news for America, and our wonderful White House! The Judge on the case of what will be the most beautiful Ballroom anywhere in the World, has just thrown out, and completely erased, the effort to stop its construction. As everyone knows, not one dollar of taxpayer money is being spent, but rather, all money necessary to build this magnificent building is being put up by Patriot Donors and Contributors. The Ballroom construction, which is anticipated to also handle future Inaugurations and large state visits, is ahead of schedule, and under budget. It will stand long into the future as a symbol to the Greatness of America! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP.”
Reporting on the judge’s decision, the CNN said the National Trust for Historic Preservation sued the Trump administration in December over the ballroom project and asked for a preliminary injunction, claiming the White House has been carrying out the construction unlawfully. The trust, it was also explained, said Trump hadn’t gotten approval from Congress or submitted his plans to the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts for review, which would give the public a chance to weigh in.
The trust’s choice was to use the Administrative Procedure Act to challenge Mr Trump’s project. In the decision, the judge concluded the law was an an inappropriate tool for the trust, in part because the White House office for the president’s executive office and the office over his residence – which are managing the ballroom’s construction – aren’t agencies that a court could curtail under the law.
As reported by the CNN, however, Leon said the trust raised “novel and weight issues” in the case and could potentially restructure the lawsuit to test the president’s authority in a different legal approach.