President Donald Trump went on a Truth Social rampage after a federal court blocked the construction of his beloved vanity project.
Trump, 80, unleashed a nearly 500-word diatribe after an appellate court ordered a work stoppage on the White House ballroom, calling it a domain of Congress and not the executive branch.
The three-judge panel voted 2-1 to uphold a preliminary injunction earlier won by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which sued the government when the Trump administration pursued the project without congressional approval.
“Congress has not ceded unfettered authority to the Executive Branch to dramatically redesign, reshape, and reconstruct the White House — the People’s House — to fit a particular President’s desires,” the court said. Obama appointee Patricia Millett and Biden nominee Bradley Garcia formed the majority, while Trump pick Neomi Rao dissented.
Trump said “the Military and Secret Service are viewing this horrendous, politically motivated, and unlawful ruling as a National Security threat to our Nation in that the entire Complex is being built for the protection of our Country and, additionally, all future Presidents.”
The president initially said a White House ballroom has been “wanted for 150 years by presidents” who lacked space to host big events. But over time, his rationale for the sprawling, $400 million pet project has evolved into one centered around national security.
Trump has repeatedly insisted that the bunker built into the ballroom’s design—complete with bomb shelters and medical facilities—is necessary for the safety of administration officials and visitors alike.
“It is all tied together as one big, expensive, and very complex unit, which is vital for National Security and Military Operations of the United States of America!” he claimed.
“The Circuit Court’s decision, which is totally wrong on the vital subject of STANDING, of which the plaintiff has none, severely jeopardizes the lives and welfare of the people who work, and will be working, at the White House — including all future Presidents of the United States, and their families, as well as the lives of all those visiting, such as Heads of State and other Dignitaries, and all Americans who wish to visit the historic, beautiful Executive Mansion,” Trump continued.
The president went on to claim that the ballroom is “a Gift from President Trump and Great Patriots of the United States of America,” echoing his previous statements that Americans would not have to foot the bill. But The Washington Post reported last month that invoices for the project put its cost at $600 million, with more than half coming from tax dollars.
“There will be no expense to the American Taxpayer. This unjust decision must be overturned by the Supreme Court in its entirety,” Trump wrote. “Thank you for your attention to this deeply important National Security matter!”
