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US President Donald Trump has continued to defend the controversial construction of a new ballroom and military complex on the White House grounds, lauding the proposed rooftop "DronePort" as a "great and very important military asset."
Trump shared a graphic featuring "DronePort," a rooftop military installation atop the White House, on his Truth Social platform. The image shows several military drones parked on a flat rooftop guarded by armed personnel, set against the backdrop of the Washington Monument and the capital city skyline. Emphasising the defence capabilities of the proposed site, Trump praised the complex as a crucial national security installation. "This great and very important military asset sits atop the heavily protected Ballroom at the White House. It provides National Security for Washington, D.C., and will protect future Presidents!!! President DJT," Trump wrote. The post comes amid an escalating dispute over the construction project, following a federal appeals court ruling blocking the construction of a new White House ballroom. Earlier, Trump described the ruling as a "National Security Threat" and a "National disgrace", saying his administration would immediately challenge the decision before the US Supreme Court. In a post on Truth Social on Friday (local time), Trump criticised the ruling delivered by a divided federal appeals court, which held that construction of the proposed ballroom requires congressional approval. "Two Judges, one appointed by Barack Hussein Obama, the other by Sleepy Joe Biden, said in a ruling on the desperately needed SECURE Ballroom/Military Complex, including a major DronePort on the roof, that 'Each President is a temporary tenant...of the White House.' We are not tenants... 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. Describing the ruling as a threat to national security, he added, "This decision, made after much of the work has been done and paid for, is a National Security Threat at the highest level. It is also a National Disgrace." According to CNN, a divided US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled 2-1 that the Trump administration could not proceed with the massive ballroom project without congressional approval. "Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help," the appeals court said, according to CNN. The court stayed implementation of its ruling for two weeks, giving Trump time to appeal to the Supreme Court.Trump confirmed that his administration would challenge the ruling. The case stems from Trump's decision to replace the East Wing with an approximately 89,000-square-foot ballroom. According to CNN, the appeals court ruled that while work on the underground security bunker may continue, above-ground ballroom construction cannot proceed without congressional authorisation. (ANI)
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