Overview
- On Sunday President Trump posted images of a proposed rooftop “DronePort” for the planned East Wing ballroom and warned U.S. District Judge Richard Leon that he would be held responsible if Washington, D.C., were attacked.
- The Justice Department filed a brief on May 25 asking the judge to dissolve an injunction that paused above‑ground work, arguing recent attacks and security incidents justify resuming construction.
- Judge Leon issued the injunction in April after concluding the administration lacked authority to proceed without congressional approval, and an appeals court later allowed limited work to continue while the case proceeds.
- Litigants led by the National Trust for Historic Preservation continue to challenge the project on preservation and procedural grounds, saying required approvals and reviews were bypassed.
- Reporting and court filings describing the ballroom’s defenses — including a drone base, hardened roofing, medical spaces and deep underground facilities — have raised bipartisan concerns that the litigation has revealed operationally sensitive details and widened the political fight over funding and oversight.