The White House Ballroom saga continues, and it seems there won't be any dancing in a new White House ballroom any time soon. In the latest development, a federal judge has ordered a halt to construction on President Trump's signature White House remodeling achievement, although the judge delayed implementation of the order on the big, beautiful White House addition.
A federal judge on Tuesday ordered construction of the White House ballroom project halted, siding with a historic preservation group that argued the effort violated federal law.
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon said the group is likely to succeed on the merits of its case, writing that "no statute comes close to giving the President the authority he claims to have," according to the ruling.
The injunction temporarily stops work on the project, though the judge delayed enforcement for 14 days to allow the White House time to appeal. The Department of Justice (DOJ) is expected to appeal.
I have a question: Since work has already started, what happens if the "historic preservation group" wins? Do they have to put everything back? How, exactly, will that work?
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The Justice Department, as noted, is expected to appeal. Judge Leon did note that the ballroom project could go on if Congress authorizes the project and/or allocates money specifically for the project.
The lawsuit was brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which argued the project required congressional authorization before moving forward.
In his opinion, Leon said construction could resume if Congress explicitly approves the project or authorizes funding, emphasizing that lawmakers retain authority over federal property and spending.
Here's the thing: The ballroom is being funded by donations. The White House has released a list of donors, 37 of them, and the president himself has agreed to donate personally. The project is expected to cost roughly $400 million. The lawsuit seeking to halt construction reportedly raises questions as to whether the executive branch has the authority to accept and use those private donations without Congress's approval.
Here's the interesting part of all this: The same judge, Richard Leon, previously ruled against the National Trust for Historic Preservation, refusing to block construction; RedState's own Bob Hoge reported on that in February.
The ballroom dancing won’t commence just yet at the White House, but President Trump is celebrating a decision by U.S. District Judge Richard Leon that denied an attempt by the National Trust for Historic Preservation to stop construction of the president's $400 million proposed addition.
Leon did write, however, that the matter could very well be revisited:
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled that the National Trust for Historic Preservation is unlikely to prevail on its request for a temporary halt to President Donald Trump’s construction plan. He said the group may have a stronger case if it amends its lawsuit.
The group then amended its lawsuit, and Judge Leon appears to have found some merit to the claims now advanced by the NTHP. Should the lawsuit succeed, it's unclear what will happen; the deconstruction, necessary before the actual ballroom can be put up, is already taking place.
This remains a developing story. Stay tuned.
Editor's Note: Unelected federal judges are hijacking President Trump's agenda and insulting the will of the people.
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