DOJ Ballroom Motion Bears Trump’s Fingerprints
The Department of Justice filed a nine-page motion on Monday seeking to dissolve an injunction blocking construction of Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom project. The filing cites “national security” grounds following last weekend’s attempted shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon had previously halted above-ground construction after the National Trust for Historic Preservation sued to block the project.
The opening two pages of the DOJ motion contain language strikingly similar to Trump’s Truth Social posts, including mocking references to the preservation group’s name, accusations of “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” and repeated references to “Barack Hussein Obama.” The document also includes the phrase “very bad for our Country” and arguments about a woman walking her dog lacking standing to challenge the project, language that appears in multiple Trump social media posts about the ballroom lawsuit. White House spokesperson Davis Ingle confirmed that Trump is “intimately involved” in the litigation, though officials did not explicitly confirm Trump authored the opening section.
The motion characterizes the ballroom as essential to national security, arguing it functions as part of an integrated hardened bunker structure beneath the White House East Wing that protects presidents and their families. The filing claims the National Trust for Historic Preservation was shown classified military plans by top officers but proceeded with the lawsuit anyway. It further states the military requested the preservation group not bring the suit due to the project’s classified nature.
The DOJ document accuses the preservation organization of obstructing “vital” national security infrastructure and of being funded by the government before refusing to continue that support. The motion explicitly asks Judge Leon to dissolve the injunction to protect “President Trump, future Presidents, and their families, Cabinets, and staff.” The filing was signed electronically by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter, and Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward.
The unusual tone and content of the opening section reflect Trump’s characteristic rhetorical style, including unnecessary capitalization of words like “country,” “military,” and “governmental agency,” alongside gratuitous attacks on the preservation group and references to “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” Trump posted the first pages of the document to Truth Social early Tuesday, ahead of the official White House ceremony for King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s state visit, amplifying the filing’s talking points across his social media platform.