Trump Lashes Out At Judge Who Delayed White House Ballroom Construction

President Donald Trump attacked the federal judge who ordered a pause on construction of the White House ballroom, restricting his ability to complete the project that has drawn much of his attention.

Trump lashed out at U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, a George W. Bush appointee, after the judge ruled on Thursday to again block construction of the ballroom. Trump called Leon “highly political” and insisted on the importance of completing the “historic and militarily imperative project.”

Trump labeled Leon a “Trump Hating” judge who “has gone out of his way to undermine National Security, and to make sure that this Great Gift to America gets delayed, or doesn’t get built” in a social media post.

Leon, through a court spokesperson, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Though Leon blocked construction of the ballroom last month, he left wiggle room for the construction of national security and safety elements of the project to continue. The White House, however, interpreted Leon’s decision as allowing construction of the entire ballroom, saying that the whole project was interspersed with national security components.

But in a new ruling Thursday, Leon said this “brazen” and “disingenuous” interpretation of his earlier order could not stand. He instead emphasized that his initial order was meant to stop all “above-ground” components of the project — including the ballroom itself — while permitting underground components to advance. He said this division was based on representations from the White House itself about the significance of those underground safety and national security measures.

In his post, Trump argued that without the ballroom, which he said will include “Bomb Shelters,” “a State of the Art Hospital and Medical Facilities” and “Top Secret Military Installations,” future presidents will not “ever be Safe and Secure at Events, Future Inaugurations, or Global Summits.”

Over the weekend, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals largely upheld Leon’s ruling but gave the administration until Friday to pursue relief from the Supreme Court. It’s unclear if Trump will ask the justices to intervene.

Construction of the ballroom has been a passion project for the president, who regularly updates reporters and White House attendees about the ballroom’s progress during official events. The renovation is the centerpiece of Trump’s efforts to remake Washington, including by building a giant 250-foot arch near Arlington National Cemetery.