US President Donald Trump has published a long, angry rant after a judge blocked the building of an above ground ballroom at the White House.
A federal judge Richard Leon, called by the US President an “out of control Trump hating judge,” blocked the administration’s above-ground construction of the controversial White House ballroom.
But Judge Leon’s order, however, will still allow the administration to continue below-ground construction, which also includes works related to national security facilities.
CNBC said Leon’s order is also allowing above-ground construction “that is strictly necessary to cover, secure, and protect such national security facilities,” as long as that construction does not “lock in the above-ground size and scale of the ballroom”.
In his long message on Truth, Mr Trump said: “The out of control Trump Hating, Washington, D.C. District Court Judge, who doesn’t want to accept a $400 Million Dollar GIFT of one of the most beautiful Ballrooms anywhere in the World, desperately needed by the White House and its future Presidents (Due to time constraints, I will barely get to use it!), wants me to build the ‘underground’ portion of the Ballroom, without the “above ground” portion, but the underground doesn’t work, isn’t necessary, and would indeed be useless, without the above ground sections.
“The underground portion is wedded to, and serves, the upper portion, including the Bomb Shelters, a State of the Art Hospital and Medical Facilities, Protective Partitioning, Top Secret Military Installations, Structures, and Equipment, Protective Missile Resistant Steel, Columns, Roofs, and Beams, Drone Proof Ceilings and Roofs, Military Grade Venting, and Bullet, Ballistic, and Blast Proof Glass.”
Construction of the ballroom began in September 2025 with the demolition of the East Wing. Construction continued through the historic 43-day federal government shutdown, sparking criticism as thousands went without pay for over a month.
Initial reports said the project is expected to be finished before Trump’s term ends in 2029, but Trump mentioned it could take as little as “about two years”.
