Topline<\/p>\n
The Trump administration told a federal appeals court Tuesday that an alleged effort to attack the UFC event at the White House proves why the government should be allowed to build a new White House ballroom, as the court weighs whether to halt construction of the controversial structure.<\/p>\n
UFC fights take place on the South Lawn of the White House on June 14 in Washington, DC. <\/p>\n
Getty ImagesKey Facts<\/p>\n
A federal appeals court is now deliberating<\/a> on whether the Trump administration has the authority to build President Donald Trump\u2019s planned ballroom at the White House, after a lower court ruled the structure can\u2019t be built without congressional approval.<\/p>\n The Trump administration filed a letter<\/a> with the court Tuesday, after the FBI announced<\/a> earlier in the day it had charged five people with attempting to carry out an attack at the White House\u2019s UFC fight over the weekend.<\/p>\n The defendants allegedly intended to deploy drones with explosives \u201cin and around\u201d the UFC event in order to force an evacuation, and then target \u201chigh value\u201d officials at the event using snipers, according to the FBI<\/a>.<\/p>\n In the letter, the Justice Department alleged building a White House ballroom could ward off such \u201cassassination\u201d attempts in the future, claiming the structure\u2019s \u201cmass and height will shield the White House grounds from attack, and give the Secret Service the visibility needed to identify attackers.\u201d<\/p>\n The Trump administration alleged the ballroom would include \u201ccritical strategic features\u201d that would help defend against attacks, such as a drone proof roof, bulletproof windows and a rooftop outfitted with a drone port and sniper nests. <\/p>\n The filing echoes similar arguments<\/a> the Trump administration made<\/a> after the attack at the White House Correspondents\u2019 Dinner\u2014which a lower court judge was not receptive to\u2014arguing in a filing that such an incident \u201ccould have never taken place\u201d at the new ballroom.<\/p>\n Crucial Quote<\/p>\n \u201cThe repeated assassination attempts and plots against President Trump and those around him demonstrate the National Security imperative for a bullet proof, drone proof Ballroom to protect the President, all future Presidents, their Cabinets, staffs, families, and guests,\u201d DOJ attorney Brett A. Shumate wrote in the government\u2019s letter to the court Tuesday.<\/p>\n What to Watch for<\/p>\n It\u2019s unclear when the federal appeals court could rule on the fate of Trump\u2019s ballroom, but construction on the structure has been allowed to move forward while the judges deliberate. If the courts ultimately approve the project, Trump said<\/a> in May he thinks the ballroom would likely open in the fall of 2028.<\/p>\n Big Number<\/p>\n $600 million. That\u2019s how much the ballroom is now anticipated to cost, according to internal contractor estimates reported<\/a> Tuesday by The Washington Post\u2014far larger than the initial $200 million price tag initially announced for the project, which then went up to $400 million. While Trump originally promised the ballroom would be paid for through private donations, the Post reports internal communications show taxpayers are actually paying for slightly more than half of the ballroom\u2019s total cost, largely through the Secret Service and White House Military Office. Trump has more recently claimed government funding will only be used to cover parts of the building that are dedicated to security functions, while the actual ballroom will only be privately funded. Experts cited by the Post suggested that\u2019s not really possible, given it\u2019s all one structure, and it\u2019s \u201cinevitable\u201d that parts of the ballroom will end up being publicly funded.<\/p>\n Key Background<\/p>\n Trump\u2019s planned 90,000 square foot ballroom, first announced<\/a> last summer, has become a major source of controversy for the president, with an April poll finding<\/a> 56% of Americans oppose the construction project. The lawsuit opposing the structure was brought by the nonprofit National Trust for Historic Preservation, which argues the executive branch does not have authority to construct the new ballroom without congressional approval, and that the ballroom and destruction of the previous East Wing harms people who enjoy the White House\u2019s grounds and appreciate its history. The Trump administration has fought the litigation, arguing construction is already too far along for the project to be stopped by the courts. Judge Richard Leon ruled<\/a> against the government in March, writing that while Trump is the \u201csteward\u201d of the White House, he is \u201cnot the owner,\u201d and \u201cno statute comes close to giving the President the authority he claims to have\u201d to build the ballroom. The federal appeals court has allowed construction to continue in the meantime, though multiple judges expressed skepticism about the government\u2019s position when they heard arguments<\/a> in the case earlier in June.<\/p>\n Further Reading<\/p>\n Alleged UFC Plotters Were Angry About Epstein Files, Affidavit Says<\/a> (Forbes)<\/p>\n