Trump calls ballroom foes ‘treasonists,’ accuses nonprofit of revealing military secrets

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump launched an extensive late-night rant on his Truth Social page Friday, accusing the National Trust for Historic Preservation of being “TREASONISTS” after the nonprofit successfully sued to stop him from building a ballroom in the White House East Wing. Trump alleged that the organization had revealed confidential military information concerning the site.

Last week, a federal court sided with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which sued the Trump administration over the construction. The court ordered Trump to the project because it had not been approved by Congress. The Trust is a privately funded nonprofit that says it has “led the movement to save America’s historic places” for more than 75 years.

Trump accuses National Trust of revealing military secrets

In his lengthy post, Trump referred to the nonprofit as “TREASONISTS” and claimed that the organization had revealed military secrets. Trump reiterated his claim that the ballroom is absolutely “vital to our national security."

“These are the TREASONISTS that brought the suit against the Military Complex. They revealed Top Military Secrets!”

“‘The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a beautiful name, but even their name is fake because when they add the words “in the United States” to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, it makes it sound like a Governmental Agency, which it is not.”

Trump claimed the US Military had explicitly instructed the National Trust not to sue over the construction, but that the organization proceeded after seeing classified information from the Military and Secret Service about the building's specifications.

“They were asked by the United States Military not to bring this suit because of the Top Secret nature of the important facility being built. They were shown detailed plans and specifications of this knitted, unified, and cohesive structure by Top Officers and Leaders in both the Military and Secret Service.”

“But this did not deter them because they suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome, commonly referred to as TDS, as noted by Democrat Senator John Fetterman, of Pennsylvania.”

Trump singled out the drone port being constructed on the roof of the new facility as among the classified features he said had been publicly exposed by the litigation.

Trump questions plaintiff's standing in ballroom lawsuit

Trump also criticized the plaintiff in the case, whom he described as a woman who takes her dog for a walk near the White House. He argued that she did not have legal standing to challenge a project she had not seen.

“There is absolutely no argument that a woman walking her dog in the vicinity of the White House has STANDING to stop such a desperately needed National Security structure for the people of the United States of America”

“She has no Clearances, or expertise whatsoever, in National Security, Defense, or required protections for the President," Trump wrote. "It is this kind of gross and flagrant abuse of our Courts that is exactly why Americans are losing faith in our System of Justice."

White House ballroom project faces court-ordered halt

Construction of the ballroom, a 90,000-square-foot building being developed where the White House East Wing once stood, was ordered to be put on hold by a federal appeals court last week because the project lacked congressional authorization.

The administration filed an emergency petition with the Supreme Court last Friday, asking for a stay on the order that will take effect on August 21.

The cost associated with the project has increased significantly since it was announced. The Washington Post has indicated that the ballroom will cost $600 million, much of which would be borne by taxpayers, based on bills reviewed by the paper. Trump, however, has maintained that the project is being funded entirely through private donations.