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mahatmakanejeeves

(69,456 posts) Tue Mar 17, 2026, 11:32 PM 15 hrs ago

Judge questions Trump aides' 'brazen' claims on White House ballroom

Source: Washington Post

Judge questions Trump aides’ ‘brazen’ claims on White House ballroom

The planned $400 million project has been a top priority for the president. Judge Richard J. Leon said he hopes to rule this month on whether to halt construction.

Updated
March 17, 2026 at 6:34 p.m. EDT

As seen from the Washington Monument, construction of the White House ballroom continues last Tuesday. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

By Dan Diamond and Jonathan Edwards

A federal judge on Tuesday grilled Trump administration lawyers on the legal justification for the president’s $400 million White House ballroom plan, accusing the Justice Department of “shifting” arguments as historic preservationists urged him to halt the controversial project.

{snip}

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/03/17/trump-ballroom-judge-hearing/

11 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Judge questions Trump aides' 'brazen' claims on White House ballroom (Original Post) mahatmakanejeeves 15 hrs ago OP

If anyone needs a gift link, here it is: spooky3 15 hrs ago #1

Thank you so very much mahina 11 hrs ago #7

Came up as blocked for me. intheflow 4 hrs ago #9

The picture posted is just such a perfect example of UpInArms 15 hrs ago #2

I don't understand why he was EVER allowed to do that Skittles 10 hrs ago #8

This shouldn't be difficult! HighFired49 14 hrs ago #3

This! calimary 12 hrs ago #6

There's the rub, Bayard 2 hrs ago #11

"The judge added that Trump was a 'steward' of the White House, not its owner." pat_k 14 hrs ago #4

Perfect Blue_Roses 13 hrs ago #5

Dump should be required to re-build The East Wing out of pocket. sellitman 3 hrs ago #10

spooky3

(38,559 posts)

1. If anyone needs a gift link, here it is:

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Tue Mar 17, 2026, 11:37 PM

15 hrs ago

https://wapo.st/4dnvfRW

mahina

(20,609 posts)

7. Thank you so very much

Reply to spooky3 (Reply #1)

Wed Mar 18, 2026, 03:29 AM

11 hrs ago

That was really kind and I deeply appreciate it. I canceled my subscription a few months ago.

intheflow

(30,159 posts)

9. Came up as blocked for me.

Reply to spooky3 (Reply #1)

Wed Mar 18, 2026, 10:48 AM

4 hrs ago

I was able to read the article via other means, but this link didn't gift me access.

UpInArms

(54,878 posts)

2. The picture posted is just such a perfect example of

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Tue Mar 17, 2026, 11:40 PM

15 hrs ago

everything that this pos does …

Take something lovely and good and destroy it

Skittles

(171,400 posts)

8. I don't understand why he was EVER allowed to do that

Reply to UpInArms (Reply #2)

Wed Mar 18, 2026, 05:16 AM

10 hrs ago

it's not HIS fucking house

HighFired49

(488 posts)

3. This shouldn't be difficult!

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Wed Mar 18, 2026, 01:00 AM

14 hrs ago

How difficult is it to stop or repair this mess? Trump doesn't own the property, so he has no right to build anything on it. What would happen if he decided to build himself a summer home on the front lawn after he leaves office, for example? Just because he's Pres. doesn't mean he has the right to build on property that he doesn't own! If he does, maybe I should go to DC and maybe build a nightclub at the end of the West Wing. Seems that I would have the same right as he does, no matter who pays for it. Makes no sense. He should be sued for the cost to restore the mess he's made to the exact specifications as the building that was there. That would be a good way to put the money that he got from "friends" to use in fixing his stupid fiasco.

calimary

(89,859 posts)

6. This!

Reply to HighFired49 (Reply #3)

Wed Mar 18, 2026, 02:30 AM

12 hrs ago

I don’t want to hear about ANY “plans” that Trump presumably (or allegedly) has up his sleeve. I don’t care WHAT he wants.

He SHOULD face a lawsuit - or better yet, MORE lawsuitS - to pry the recovery and restoration money out of his accounts. I don’t give a damn what he wants OR claims that he needs OR deserves.

Bayard

(29,482 posts)

11. There's the rub,

Reply to calimary (Reply #6)

Wed Mar 18, 2026, 12:44 PM

2 hrs ago

If the lawsuits are successful, he will charge the demolition and restoration to taxpayers. As he's said before, he doesn't pay for anything.

pat_k

(13,261 posts)

4. "The judge added that Trump was a 'steward' of the White House, not its owner."

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Wed Mar 18, 2026, 01:05 AM

14 hrs ago

Leon repeatedly questioned the administration’s insistence that the president does not need congressional approval for the project. The White House has countered that Congress set aside several million dollars for alteration and maintenance of the president’s residence — a characterization that Leon said was “brazen,” given the scope of the planned 90,000-square-foot project.

The judge also grew frustrated after a Justice Department lawyer defended the project — which involved demolishing the White House’s East Wing last year — by citing past projects at national parks, with Leon saying there was no comparison.

The White House “is a special place,” he said. “This is an iconic symbol of this nation.” The judge added that Trump was a “steward” of the White House, not its owner.