President Donald Trump argued that U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon was "out of control" because he blocked construction of the above-ground portions of a White House ballroom.
In his Thursday ruling, Leon sought to clarify an earlier order intended to halt construction of the ballroom while carving out a small exception for national security construction. Trump had said that the exception permitted him to build the entire ballroom structure.
"Defendants argue that the entire ballroom construction project, from tip to tail, falls within the safety-and-security exception and therefore may proceed unabated," Leon noted on Thursday. "That is neither a reasonable nor a correct reading of my Order!"
"I will further clarify and amend my Order to stop only above-ground construction of the planned ballroom," he continued. "My Amended Order does not, however, stop below-ground construction of national security facilities, work necessary to provide for presidential security, and construction necessary to protect and secure the White House and the construction site itself."
Thursday's ruling clearly triggered the president, who authored at least three Truth Social posts on the subject on his way to an event in Las Vegas.
"The out of control Trump Hating, Washington, D.C. District Court Judge, who doesn't want to accept a $400 Million Dollar GIFT of one of the most beautiful Ballrooms anywhere in the World, desperately needed by the White House and its future Presidents (Due to time constraints, I will barely get to use it!), wants me to build the 'underground' portion of the Ballroom, without the 'above ground' portion, but the underground doesn't work, isn't necessary, and would indeed be useless, without the above ground sections," Trump said in his third ballroom-related rant of the day.
"The underground portion is wedded to, and serves, the upper portion, including the Bomb Shelters, a State of the Art Hospital and Medical Facilities, Protective Partitioning, Top Secret Military Installations, Structures, and Equipment, Protective Missile Resistant Steel, Columns, Roofs, and Beams, Drone Proof Ceilings and Roofs, Military Grade Venting, and Bullet, Ballistic, and Blast Proof Glass," he added. "It's all tied together as one big, expensive, and very complex unit, which is vital for National Security and Military Operations of the United States of America! The Judge's decision."