President Donald Trump on Wednesday criticized two appellate judges appointed by former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden for voting against a military center he says is critical for the security of Washington, D.C., and the nation. In a post on X, Trump cited a strongly worded dissent from Judge Neomi Rao, who argued that the district court lacked jurisdiction and that the injunction represented a "blatant abuse of discretion."
Rao wrote: "To begin with, the district court had no jurisdiction because the Trust has no standing to stop construction at the White House…[T]he balance of equities overwhelmingly favors the government. The district court elevated the aesthetic displeasure of a single passerby over the government’s security interests in the ballroom and the security risks of leaving an open construction site at the President’s home and office." Trump said the decision has been stayed and that he will immediately appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The president characterized the ruling as "horrendous, politically motivated, and unlawful" and said it poses a national security threat. He described the project as a single integrated complex including bomb shelters, a state-of-the-art hospital, protective missile-resistant steel, drone-proof ceilings, and ballistic glass. Trump emphasized that the ballroom is a gift from him and "Great Patriots" at no cost to taxpayers. "This unjust decision must be overturned by the Supreme Court in its entirety," he wrote.
