The administration of United States President Donald Trump has filed an emergency motion to resume construction on its White House ballroom, arguing that completing the work is necessary for national security.On Friday, lawyers for the Trump administration and the National Park Service called a recent court decision to pause construction “shocking, unprecedented, and improper”.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listThey argued that the court-ordered suspension left a “massive excavation” site next to the executive mansion, “threatening grave national-security harms to the White House, the President and his family, and the President’s staff”.“This order is untenable and must be stayed,” the motion (PDF) said. “The building is under construction, with deep Top Secret excavations, foundations, and structures, already built.”The motion outlines various security measures slated to be incorporated into the ballroom project, including drone-proof roofing materials and glass meant to withstand bullets and blasts.“Time is of the essence,” the motion reads. A demolition crew takes apart the facade of the White House’s East Wing on October 21, 2025 [Jonathan Ernst/Reuters]Destroying the East WingThe court filing was the latest response from the Trump administration to a March 31 ruling from Judge Richard Leon, an appointee of former Republican President George W Bush.Judge Leon had issued a 35-page ruling (PDF) ordering construction on the project to stop, citing the need for congressional approval for a project so transformative. Advertisement Trump has long sought to leave his mark on Washington, DC, the nation’s capital. And upon his return to the White House for a second term, he quickly announced plans to revamp the White House.Among his plans were proposals to pave over the Rose Garden and construct a ballroom with more space to accommodate White House functions. He cited his South Florida resort, Mar-a- …
