The Justice Department filed a remarkable motion late Monday, written in President Trump’s recognizable online voice, explicitly linking the security breach at the White House correspondents’ dinner to the lawsuit over the president’s ballroom project.
The motion, signed by the acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, and submitted by Stanley Woodward Jr., attacks the litigation against the ballroom the same way Mr. Trump has on social media. It asks Judge Richard J. Leon to backtrack and allow construction on the project to continue.
A court of appeals has already paused Judge Leon’s earlier ruling until arguments in June. But the Justice Department’s latest motion makes an attempt to sway the litigation in the meantime, while taking the opportunity to flatter the president in dramatic terms.
“Because it is DONALD J. TRUMP, a highly successful real estate developer, who has abilities that others don’t, especially those who assume the Office of President, this frivolous and meritless lawsuit was filed,” the filing states. “Again, it’s called TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME.”
The style of the motion leaves no doubt about the president’s significant influence over the decisions of the Justice Department. While parts of the motion are written in a traditional legal style, many sections are indistinguishable from the president’s combative posts on Truth Social.
“‘The National Trust for Historic Preservation’ is a beautiful name, but even their name is FAKE because when they add the words ‘in the United States’ to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, it makes it sound like a Governmental Agency, which it is not,” the motion begins.
Since the attempted attack at the dinner on Saturday, Mr. Trump and his allies have begun ramping up their push to dismiss the lawsuit filed by historic preservationists against the ballroom, which Mr. Trump has attempted to build without the approval of Congress. The lawsuit from the National Trust for Historic Preservation was filed after Mr. Trump abruptly tore down the White House’s historic East Wing without seeking approval from any oversight body.
Shortly after a gunman was arrested rushing toward guests at the Washington Hilton, Mr. Blanche wrote a letter to the historic preservationists, demanding they drop the suit and accusing them of putting Mr. Trump’s life at “grave risk.”
Even if pushed through at an accelerated timeline, the planned ballroom would not be ready for use until near the end of Mr. Trump’s term.
Congressional Republicans have also ramped up their efforts since the breach to push for funding for Mr. Trump’s ballroom, which the president said previously would be funded completely through donations from wealthy businesses and individuals.
Senator Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican and chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, said on Monday that he wanted Congress to move legislation as quickly as possible to provide $400 million for construction of a secure White House ballroom that would also house national security facilities beneath it.
“Private donations can be used, but I think they should be used for buying china and stuff like that,” Mr. Graham said.
Luke Broadwater covers the White House for The Times.
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