Federal judge Richard Leon, from the District Court of the District of Columbia, ordered this Tuesday (31) that construction work on the White House ballroom, which began in October last year under order from the President of the United States, Donald Trump, be temporarily suspended in the space where the then East Wing of the residence was located, which was demolished to make way for the project.
The judge accepted a request for an injunction presented by the NGO National Trust for Historic Preservation, in a lawsuit filed in December challenging the legality of the work. In the action, the organization asked that the works be suspended until the project was evaluated by independent bodies and obtained formal approval from the American Congress.
According to Leon, “no existing law gives the president the authority to carry out a work of this size without approval from Congress.” In his decision, the judge said that the head of the American Executive “is the guardian of the White House for future generations” and not its owner, and that, therefore, “he cannot unilaterally dispose of the country’s historical heritage”.
Trump’s project envisages the construction of an event hall with capacity for around a thousand people and an area of approximately 8,400 square meters, at an estimated cost of US$400 million (R$2.7 billion, at the most recent quote). According to Trump, the works are being financed by private donors and the president himself, at no cost to the American taxpayer.
The decision announced this Tuesday suspends the works for 14 days, a period that allows the government to appeal – which has already been done today, with the White House saying it will challenge the decision in higher courts. According to Leon, only interventions aimed at the security of the presidential complex, such as the construction of shelters and defense systems, are exempt from the strike, which are paid for with public resources.
Carol Quillen, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, called the decision “a victory for the American people.” According to her, the court order “protects one of the most emblematic places in the country from an intervention that would permanently alter its character”.
On his social network, Truth Social, President Trump criticized the court decision and called members of the NGO National Trust for Historic Preservation “left-wing radicals”.
