Trump administration seeks to restart White House ballroom project after shooting
WASHINGTON, DC: The administration of US President Donald Trump is seeking to resume construction of a controversial White House ballroom project, arguing that a recent shooting near the presidential complex demonstrates the urgent need for expanded security infrastructure.
In a court filing submitted late Sunday, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the latest violent incident near the White House highlighted the importance of completing the proposed ballroom and East Wing security project.
“This second attack on the President this month underscores the critical need for top level, state of the art security at the White House,” Blanche wrote, describing the ballroom as a “knitted, unified, cohesive part” of a larger security complex.
Shooting near Secret Service, intensifies debate
The filing comes a day after a gunman allegedly opened fire near a US Secret Service checkpoint close to the White House on Saturday evening.
According to officials, Secret Service personnel returned fire, fatally wounding the suspect, who later died at a hospital. One bystander was also injured during the exchange.
Blanche argued in the filing that the proposed ballroom would function as a heavily fortified “SAFE HAVEN” for presidents, their families, staff, foreign dignitaries and guests.
Without the facility, he claimed, “the President cannot safely conduct the business of the United States.”
Court battle over construction continues
The project has become the subject of an ongoing legal and political dispute.
Last month, Federal Judge Richard Leon temporarily blocked construction of the planned 9,000-square-foot ballroom, ruling that congressional approval was required before work could continue.
The administration had sought to include nearly $1 billion in ballroom-related security funding within a broader reconciliation bill.
However, the Senate parliamentarian ruled the funding could not be inserted into the package.
Congress subsequently left for recess without reaching agreement on the proposal.
An appellate court later allowed construction to proceed temporarily until a panel of judges hears the case in early June.
Administration outlines extensive security features
In the latest filing, Blanche detailed what the administration described as advanced military-grade security measures planned for the facility.
The ballroom would reportedly feature a drone-proof roof, missile-resistant columns, blast-proof and ballistic glass, military-grade air filtration systems and protective partitioning.
According to the filing, the complex would also include bomb shelters, medical facilities, top-secret military installations and secured operational infrastructure integrated into the East Wing expansion.
Officials further said the ballroom roof would contain sniper stations and a drone port, while the structure itself would be hermetically sealed to prevent airborne contamination threats.
Financing concerns remain unresolved
Despite the administration’s national security arguments, concerns continue over the project’s financing and oversight.
Judge Leon has previously questioned the legality of the ballroom’s reported $400 million private financing arrangement and the limited role Congress has played in approving the project.
Trump last week defended the plan, saying private donors were funding the ballroom itself while federal funds were intended only for security-related enhancements. “If Congress wouldn’t sign off on the funding, the White House won’t be a very secure place,” Trump told reporters.
