President Donald Trump on Sunday assailed a federal judge’s injunction halting aboveground construction of the White House ballroom, emphasizing the enhanced security features that form a key part of the project.
In a post on Truth Social, the president wrote that U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, a George W. Bush appointee, should “stop playing games with America’s Security.”
Trump added an ominous warning that if anything were to happen, the judge “will be responsible for the Death and Destruction caused to our Country.”
“He has already created enough problems by allowing ‘Top Secret’ information to be released and exposed based on a ridiculous lawsuit started by a highly litigious woman (serial plaintiff!) whose ‘strolling,’ in her opinion,” Trump noted.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit in December to block the $400 million project, arguing that it cannot proceed until it receives congressional authorization.
Leon agreed at the end of March, but that decision was later paused by a federal appeals court, allowing work to resume in the interim pending further review.
The president invoked national security as a justification for forging ahead. His Sunday post featured two AI-generated renderings of military-style drones stationed on the rooftop and flanked by snipers.
“The DronePort at the White House Ballroom will be, perhaps, the most sophisticated anywhere in the World! It will safeguard our Nation’s Capital, Washington, D.C., long into the future,” Trump wrote. “With the advent of highly sophisticated, and powerful, modern day weaponry, we can no longer defend Washington, D.C., with rifles and pistols, alone.”
Trump hosted reporters for a tour of the site of the former East Wing in May, where he cast the development as both a ballroom and a fortress. Among the features he highlighted were a military hospital, missile-proof roofing and a “drone port” designed to accommodate an “unlimited number of drones.”
“This is all my money and donors’ money. This is tax free,” Trump asserted. “On top of the roof, we’re going to have the greatest drone empire that you’ve ever seen and it’s going to protect Washington.”
It remains unclear how or why drones would be deployed in this way. The specifics of security at the White House are not widely discussed but it has been reported that the building already has measures in place to combat potential drone attacks.
Security in general is a significant concern, however. Over the past month, there have been three separate incidents in which gunfire erupted in close proximity to the president.
On May 23, a gunman approached the White House while Trump was inside the residence, drew a firearm and discharged multiple rounds before being fatally shot by Secret Service agents.
On May 4, a man was wounded during a firefight with Secret Service personnel near the Washington Monument.
On April 25, an individual carrying a shotgun, handgun and knives attempted to breach a security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner — an event attended by the president — before being swiftly apprehended by law enforcement and charged with attempting to assassinate the president.
The Justice Department is hoping the security imperatives will shape the trajectory of the legal dispute. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, in a court filing, insists it is “urgent” that the ballroom be completed.
“This second attack on the President this month underscores that critical need for top level, state of the art security at the White House, including the Ballroom,” Blanche wrote in May, acknowledging that it is being constructed to “ensure that that President can perform his constitutional duties in a safe and heavily secured facility.”
Tanya Noury is a reporter for Military Times and Defense News, with coverage focusing on the White House and Pentagon.
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