– The Washington Times
A federal judge halted President Trump’s plans to build a ballroom on the site of the old White House East Wing, saying he acted rashly in moving ahead without Congress and must go to Capitol Hill for permission before continuing any work.
Judge Richard Leon, a George W. Bush appointee to the court in the District of Columbia, previously allowed below-grade work to continue for safety and security reasons. In his new ruling, however, he said he concluded that the president didn’t have the power to unilaterally demolish a part of the White House complex and then build a new structure on his own say-so.
“The president of the United States is the steward of the White House for future generations of First Families. He is not, however, the owner!” the judge said.
He acknowledged “novel and weighty issues” in the case and said halting a project already underway may be tricky.
The judge exempted safety and security projects from his injunction.
He put his ruling on hold for 14 days to allow for the government to appeal, and by evening the Justice Department had filed a notice of appeal.
The East Wing housed the first lady’s offices and a theater.
Mr. Trump had it demolished in October, and his latest plans call for a $400 million ballroom, funded by private donations, that he has said would be the envy of the world.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit saying Mr. Trump was erasing a part of history, breaking several preservation policies and acting without approval from any outside authority.
Officials belatedly submitted designs to the Commission of Fine Arts for approval in February, and the National Capital Planning Commission was scheduled to vote later this week.
The ballroom is a pet project for Mr. Trump, a developer by trade whose buildings have made their mark on several city skylines.
The president showed pictures of his plans for the ballroom to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday. He said the latest design makes the structure “almost a twin to the White House,” matching the style and height.
He revealed that the military is building a security complex beneath the ballroom and said the building will feature bulletproof glass and “drone-proof roofs.”
“I think it will be the finest building of its kind anywhere in the world,” Trump said. “A lot of people are giving it really good reviews. Some are giving it reviews without seeing the building.”
Judge Leon had taken a cautious approach to the lawsuit, allowing the White House to do work on the foundation with the understanding that above-grade construction wouldn’t start until April.
With that deadline, he acted Tuesday.
Judge Leon said he found Congress’ control over the White House in several parts of the Constitution, including the property clause giving Congress the power to control public lands, the appropriations clause, giving lawmakers the power to spend money, and the District clause, which gives Congress authority over the capital city.
The White House had claimed inherent presidential powers over the president’s home.
Yet Judge Leon said, “No law comes close to giving the president this authority.”
Mr. Trump told reporters the decision was wrong.
“Many things built in the White House haven’t got congressional approval, especially when the money is not being put up by the taxpayers. The taxpayers are not putting up a dime,” he said.
On social media, he denounced the National Trust for bringing the lawsuit on a project “under budget, ahead of schedule, being built at no cost to the taxpayer, and will be the finest building of its kind anywhere in the world.”
He complained that the trust also has joined a lawsuit to try to stop his plans for a total refurbishment of the renamed Trump Kennedy Center.
Still, he said, the trust hasn’t sued over the Federal Reserve Board’s headquarters reconstruction, a $2.5 billion project.
“All of the beautiful walls inside have been ripped down, never to be built again, but the National ‘Trust’ for Historic Preservation never did anything about it!” he wrote. “Doesn’t make much sense, does it?”
• Jeff Mordock contributed to this report.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
