- Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche asked in a court filing to resume construction on the White House ballroom, arguing it underscores the need for security the ballroom will provide.
- This second attack on the President this month underscores the critical need for top level, state of the art security at the White House, including the ballroom.
- Blanche wrote that without the ballroom, "the President cannot safely conduct the business of the United States."
- A gunman was killed after allegedly opening fire on a U.S. Secret Service checkpoint near the White House Saturday evening.
- An appellate court has allowed construction to continue until at least early June when a panel of judges will hear the case.
Todd Blanche has filed a court request to resume construction on the White House ballroom, significantly underscoring security needs after a gunman was killed near a U.S. Secret Service checkpoint this past Saturday. This incident highlights vulnerabilities that the ballroom aims to address, as it is designed to provide a "SAFE HAVEN" for the President and essential personnel.4
Blanche states, "the President cannot safely conduct the business of the United States" without the ballroom, asserting it is crucial for the physical safety of all Presidents, families, and guests. The ballroom is part of the larger East Wing Project, intended to incorporate state-of-the-art security measures, including "heavy steel, drone proof roof, missile resistant and drone proof columns, bullet, ballistic, and blast proof glass" among numerous other features.
The construction is not merely aesthetic but integral to national security, with provisions for bomb shelters, medical facilities, and military equipment as part of a "single integrated, complex unit". Blanche's request comes in the wake of heightened security concerns, further emphasized by President Trump's acknowledgment of the ballroom's privately funded construction.
This project, crucial for the timely and safe fulfillment of presidential duties, is currently under judicial review, with an appellate court set to hear the case in early June, allowing construction to continue in the meantime.5
“Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is pushing to resume construction on the White House ballroom. He cites a recent shooting incident as evidence for the need for enhanced security facilities.”
CBS News