On Thursday, a federal judge in the United States rejected a lawsuit seeking to halt the construction of a new banquet hall at the White House proposed by President Trump. The judge ruled that the plaintiff’s challenge did not meet the standard required to issue a preliminary injunction, so the project will not be halted for now.
US District Judge Richard Leon dismissed the request for a preliminary injunction filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit organization that sued to stop the construction of the new White House banquet hall. The organization had asked the court to halt the project to allow its lawsuit to proceed.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit last December against Trump and several federal agencies, alleging that the project to build the new banquet hall without congressional approval or environmental review is illegal.
However, the Trump administration argued that the project follows the established tradition of presidents renovating the White House and is in the public interest.
In his ruling, Leon stated that he could not issue an injunction based on the specific arguments put forth by the National Trust for Historic Preservation but suggested that the organization could amend its complaint to reassert its claim of Trump exceeding his authority.
The new White House banquet hall project is expected to cost $400 million, but Trump stated that the construction funding comes from private donations from individuals, corporations, and himself, without using taxpayer money.
After the ruling on Thursday, Trump posted on the social media platform Truth Social, calling the decision “great news for America and our amazing White House,” and stating that the banquet hall “will stand as a symbol of greatness for our country in the future!”
Carol Quillen, the chairperson of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, expressed disappointment that Leon did not issue an injunction but stated, “We are pleased that he encouraged us to amend our complaint.”
Last week, the US Commission of Fine Arts approved Trump’s new banquet hall proposal. The commission is a federal agency responsible for providing advice on architectural development projects in Washington, DC.
(Reference: Reuters)