The US President’s glitzy ballroom project for the White House was blocked by a judge earlier this month, but is now allowed to resume.
Federal judge Richard Leon issued a ruling to stop construction on the demolished East Wing, declaring that Congress needed to approve the ballroom and accusing the administration of not following proper procedures.
In response, the President launched a blistering defence of his prized 90,000sq ft ballroom, saying it was vital for his security because it was equipped with a ‘drone-proof roof’ and other new tech.
Now, a panel of federal judges has permitted construction on the massive project with a few stipulations.
They include asking for more information as to whether a pause on the ballroom’s construction actually does pose a national security risk, as Trump claimed.
In a filing on Thursday, lawyers for the Justice Department said a pause in construction would ‘gravely threaten national security’.
The $400,000,000 project began in October after the shock destruction of the historic East Wing.
Trump wrote of the ballroom’s construction on Truth Social, saying: ‘All I am doing is fixing, cleaning, running, and ‘sprucing up’ a terribly maintained, for many years, Building.’
The President then continued his tirade with reporters in the Oval Office. Reading from prepared notes, he said the project was a matter of presidential security.
Trump explained there would be a ‘drone-proof roof’, as well as ‘air-handling systems’ and ‘biodefense all over’.
He also said the ballroom was needed to host large events for world leaders and other guests and that a ballroom tent was not sufficient because how wet the grass gets.
‘King Charles, who’s a great guy. We don’t want him to sit in a pool of water,’ he added.
Trump’s new lavish ballroom will have floor-to-ceiling white and gold decorations, the concept images revealed, matching his current shiny Oval Office decor.
Last month, it was revealed that Trump is hoping to replace the White House Ionic columns with Corinthian ones – his latest bid to transform the home into more of a Trump-esque ‘palace’.
Trump also placed gold gilded accents in the Oval Office, including new, heavy gold font signs similar to those in Mar-a-Lago.
The Trump-appointed head of the federal arts commission has proposed replacing the four columns with the Corinthian style, which is on the US Capitol and Supreme Court buildings.
Rodney Mims Cook Jr said: ‘Corinthian is the highest order [of column], and that’s what our other two branches of government have.
‘Why the White House didn’t originally use them, at least on the north front, which is considered the front door, is beyond me.’
A White House spokesperson has confirmed to the Washington Post that there are no current plans to change the Ionic columns outside the White House.
But Cook said he hopes to pose the idea to the President soon, which could mean a big change is in store for the exterior of America’s most famous building.
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