President Donald Trump on Wednesday criticized a ruling by two federal judges that blocked his administration's planned renovations to the White House grounds, calling the decision a "National Security Threat at the highest level." The judges, appointed by former President Barack Obama and President Joe Biden, ruled that "Each President is a temporary tenant…of the White House," according to Trump's post on X.
"We are not tenants, who pay rent and do all other things that a tenant must do, we are PRESIDENTS, elected by the people of the United States of America, and have many rights, including the right to fix, renovate, secure, protect, and beautify the White House grounds," Trump wrote. He argued that the White House has been built, rebuilt, renovated, and repaired many times since 1792 "and never needing the permission of Congress, or anyone else, to do so." The ruling affects the "SECURE Ballroom/Military Complex, including a major DronePort on the roof," which Trump said was already largely completed and paid for. Trump did not provide details on the specific legal case or the court's rationale.
