WASHINGTON — President Trump is moving forward with construction projects across the nation’s capital at lightning speed, faster than the courts can keep up.
His signature White House ballroom project has run into legal troubles but remains largely unabated. A government lawyer told the appeals court earlier this month that it was too late for the court to block the president from building the 90,000-square-foot building where the east wing once stood.
“It’s on the ground,” Justice Department lawyer Yaakov Ross said during a hearing on whether construction should be allowed to continue. “They’ve installed about three million pounds of steel, which is obviously a lot, and it’s going well.”
Construction crews and vehicles have been moving in and out of the White House complex for months. On a recent evening, patrons at a nearby rooftop bar could see two high-rise cranes working until sunset.
Nearly every project the president undertakes—from his decoration The renovation of the Kennedy Center, the repainting of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and his work Plans to build a 250-foot-tall arch near Arlington National Cemetery – is facing a lawsuit claiming he sidestepped the public review process or failed to get congressional approval before starting work.
Even if the parties file a case quickly, the legal system’s deliberation speed cannot match Trump’s agility.
“There’s no doubt the administration’s strategy is to move so fast that no one can catch them,” said Alexander Kristofcak, an attorney with the Washington Litigation Group, which filed the lawsuit on May 11 after Trump began painting the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial’s reflecting pool blue in mid-April.
In the case of the ballroom, a federal district judge blocked above-ground construction on the project on March 31, finding that historic preservationists might prevail on arguments that Congress must approve the project. The judge made exceptions for underground bunkers and other national security facilities built to keep the president safe during emergencies.
trump card turn around quickly The lawsuit was filed with the Washington Court of Appeals, which allowed work to continue while the case is pending. That gives the government more than two months to work on the project before a court hearing. It could still be days or weeks before an appeals panel makes a decision on whether the project can go ahead.
The transition period gave the government a reprieve, and it was able to drive an army of flatbed trucks through.
Now, the same judges who gave the government breathing room are worried about whether they are effectively tying their own hands.
The Trump administration told the appeals panel that only Congress can now decide whether to halt construction because the project is too far along and construction is in the national security interest. It is said that in order to protect the underground bunker, the government needs to build a building on top of it to replace the razed building.
“So if this is total government lawlessness, it can’t be stopped?” Judge Patricia Millett, an Obama appointee, pressed the judge. She asked when the ballroom project became a “fait accompli.”
Several bills have been introduced in Congress Ensure the banquet hall is completedbut a vote has not yet taken place. Congress’ attempt to provide $1 billion in ballroom funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was blocked by Senate budget rules.
Andrea Katz, a professor at Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, said courts still have the authority to block ballroom construction even at this relatively late stage.
“As government lawyers say, it certainly has the absurd effect of leaving a hole in the ground, but I don’t think it’s beyond the powers of the court to do that,” she said.
Courts have faced similar challenges in Trump’s reform of reflection pools. The National Park Service approved plans to repair and paint the pool in late March, the government said.
Last month, a judge held a hearing on whether to temporarily block the project. But two weeks later, before his ruling, the government informed the court that it had completed the work.
Within a few days, the basin was filled with water. Although the project was completed, the plaintiffs did not abandon the lawsuit.
“It’s useful to go ahead and write on the case ‘you’re not allowed to do this’ so when the next project comes up, hopefully the situation will be clearer,” said Kristofcak, the attorney leading the challenge.
The Trump administration also plans to speed up construction of Trump’s 250-foot-tall Arc de Triomphe, with construction crews working 20 hours a day year-round to complete the project in three years or less, according to plans released by the National Park Service last week. Three veterans and an architectural historian sued in February to halt construction, but a federal judge allowed work to continue for now.
One recent case does require the Trump administration to change its mind. last month The judge ruled The Kennedy Center board of directors does not have the authority to rename the performing arts center after Trump, saying only Congress can do so.
The judge ordered Trump’s name be removed by Friday and rejected the administration’s plan to completely close the facility while it undergoes renovations. He noted the speed with which Trump’s name was plastered above John F. Kennedy’s on the front of the building and said the sign went up the day after the board approved the change.
kennedy center Says it was deleted On Saturday, Trump’s name appeared on the building, which was delayed Friday night due to storms.
Write to Lydia Wheeler: lydia.wheeler@wsj.com
