A federal judge has halted the construction of US President Donald Trump's controversial White House ballroom but has allowed plans for an underground bunker to proceed. Judge Richard Leon ruled that Congress must authorize the $400 million project, stating that Trump seems to be bypassing a previous court order by reclassifying the plans as a national security issue. However, Leon permitted an exception for “actions strictly necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House and its grounds.” Such an exception includes the underground bunker and security measures being put in place at the site under the former East Wing structure. Trump argued that the exception also covers the entire 90,000-square-foot ballroom, claiming it is essential for White House security. The Justice Department swiftly appealed the order, with government lawyers arguing that the project includes critical security features to guard against a range of possible threats. “Defendants argue that the entire ballroom construction project, from tip to tail, falls within the safety-and-security exception and therefore may proceed unabated. That is neither a reasonable nor a correct reading of my Order!” Leon wrote in his order. Trump launched a scathing attack on the judge on social media, dubbing him a “Trump hating” judge “who has gone out of his way to undermine national security.” He added that, because of the ruling, “no future President, living in the White House without this Ballroom, can ever be Safe and Secure at Events, Future Inaugurations, or Global Summits.”
