Trump pitches ballroom as “military center” after appeals court halts construction

Donald Trump‘s planned $400 million White House ballroom got an upgrade after the D.C. district court ordered the president to halt construction.

Trump rebranded the ballroom as a “military center” in a post to Truth Social that blamed the order on liberal activist judges. He said the addition’s security measures would keep future presidents and guests safe from attacks on the White House.

“Two Obama and Biden Appellate Court Judges just voted against the desperately needed Military Center, required for the National Security of Washington, D.C., and our Country, itself,” he wrote. “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.”

In their decision, the D.C. court said that Trump’s construction project was unprecedented. They said that Trump needs the approval of Congress to make such significant changes to the White House.

“Each President is a temporary tenant, not the owner, of the White House and its Executive Residence. The President has no … constitutionally assigned authority over that property, which is designed and maintained for the use of all Presidents, current and future, and for the American people,” he wrote.

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Trump said the plaintiff in the case had no standing to bring the lawsuit and shared his intention to appeal the order to the Supreme Court.

“Why didn’t they bring this case long prior to construction starting?” he wrote. “This unjust decision must be overturned by the Supreme Court in its entirety.”