Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche late April 27 asked a federal judge to lift his order halting PresidentDonald Trump’s planned$400 million ballroom, in a filing remarkably close in style and tone to the president’s social media posts.
Blanche wrote that the shooting attack at the White House correspondents’ dinner Saturday demonstrated that “reasonable minds” could not oppose the proposed heavily secured ballroom in a filing to U.S. District Judge Richard Leon. Leon ruled onMarch 31 that aboveground constructionon the project must stop until the project had been approved by Congress in response to a lawsuit filed by the National Trust for Historical Preservation.
“The National Trust for Historic Preservation” is a beautiful name, but even their name is FAKE because when they add the words “in the United States” to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, it makes it sound like a Governmental Agency, which it is not,” the filing began.
Security officials evacuate U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) as a possible shooter opened fire during the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 25, 2026. President Donald Trump, who was in attendance, said a shooter was apprehended in a social media post.Trump and first lady Melania Trump were evacuated out of the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner minutes after it began, as attendees took cover on the floor. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Trump officials evacuate White House press dinner amid reported shooting
Security officials evacuate U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) as a possible shooter opened fire duringthe annual White House Correspondents' Association dinnerin Washington, D.C., U.S., April 25, 2026. President Donald Trump, who was in attendance, said a shooter was apprehended in a social media post.Trumpand first ladyMelania Trumpwere evacuated out of the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner minutes after it began, as attendees took cover on the floor.
“After the Saturday night attempted assassination, which could have never taken place in the new facility, reasonable minds can no longer differ — The injunction must be dissolved,” Blanche wrote, going on to describe the preservation group as suffering from “Trump Derangement Syndrome, commonly referred to as TDS.”
Trump has repeatedly said, including in a briefing immediately following the shooting, that the 20,000-square-foot addition would have prevented a would-be shooter from getting close to him. But the proposed ballroom's capacity is 1,000 and would not have accommodated the 2,500-strong guest list for the correspondents' dinner.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on April 17 put Leon's preliminary injunction blocking construction on hold and set oral arguments in thecase for June 5.
National Trust for Historic Preservation stands firm
National Trust President and CEO Carol Quillen said the group is not planning to drop the lawsuit.
"We are not planning to voluntarily dismiss our lawsuit, which endangers no one and which respectfully asks the Administration to follow the law. Ballroom construction is continuing unabated until June 5th at the earliest because the injunction is on hold," she said. "We have always acknowledged the utility of a larger meeting space at the White House. Building it lawfully requires the approval of Congress, which the Administration could seek at any time.”
The annual correspondents’ dinner,held for years at the Washington Hilton, descended into chaos when a gunman tried to run past a security checkpoint and shots were fired. The suspect, Cole Allen of Torrance, California, was apprehended by security officials andindicted Monday on charges of attempting to assassinate the president.
Trump, Vice PresidentJD Vanceand Cabinet members were immediatelyevacuated from the cavernous ballroomin the basement of the hotel, packed with more than 2,500 journalists, politicians and celebrities.
The filing described the many safety features of the proposed ballroom, for which the East Wing was demolished in October.
“The bullet proof windows and glass, and the heavy steel, drone proof roof, protect what is below. With such a facility, it would have been impossible for an attack like that which took place last Saturday evening in D.C.,” the filing said.
Advertisement
“Saturday’s narrow miss — which marks the third assassination attempt on President Trump since 2024 — confirms what should have already been obvious: Presidents need a secure space for large events, that currently does not exist in Washington, D.C., and this Court’s injunction stalling this Project cannot defensibly continue.”
Rep. Lauren Boebert backs ballroom
His allies have also rallied behind the cause.
House SpeakerMike Johnsondescribed the shooting as "surreal” after Secret Service rushed him to safety in a April 27 Fox News interview. He touted the proposed ballroom as "the most secure compound in the world."
“It won’t have hotel rooms above it, and it will have 7-inch thick glass, for example, on the windows,” he said.
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) said she was working with her team to draft legislation ensuring the White House Ballroom is completed in anX poston Sunday: “I don’t believe congressional approval is required for the project, but if it’ll keep activist judges on the sideline, so be it. More to come this week.”
Leon ruled March 31 that construction should stop except for "actions strictly necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House and its grounds."
The Trump administration argued inan April 3 motionthat the entire ballroom construction needed to proceed or it would leave the Executive Mansion "open and exposed" and create "grave national-security harms" to the building, the president and his family and staff.
Leon said on April 16 that he found the administration's attempt to sidestep his previous ruling "incredible, if not disingenuous."
Blanche’s filing also contends that the lawsuit would not have been brought if it had been proposed by another president.
“But, because it is DONALD J. TRUMP, a highly successful real estate developer, who has abilities that others don’t, especially those who assume the Office of President, this frivolous and meritless lawsuit was filed. Again, it’s called TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME,” it said.
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is a White House correspondent for USA TODAY.You can follow her on X @SwapnaVenugopal.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Trump-style DOJ court filing renews pressure to let ballroom work resume