By Arden Farhi
April 28, 2026 / 3:28 AM EDT / CBS News
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche asked a federal judge to reconsider a ruling that halted above-ground construction of a new White House ballroom, arguing that the recent shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner demonstrates the project is needed for presidential safety.
In a nine-page filing late Monday, Blanche asked U.S. District Judge Richard Leon for an indicative ruling — essentially asking Leon to say whether he would lift the preliminary injunction or dismiss the case if the appellate court returns it to him. Leon earlier this month issued the injunction pausing above-ground work until the administration secures congressional approval; construction of an underground presidential bunker beneath the East Wing was not blocked.
A federal appeals court has temporarily allowed construction to proceed while it reviews the case and will hear oral arguments in early June. The lawsuit was brought late last year by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which says it will continue the suit, calling it lawful and necessary to ensure the administration follows the law.
Blanche’s filing ties the attempted assassination at the Washington Hilton to the need for a permanent, secure event space at the White House. He called Saturday’s shooting a “narrow miss” that confirms the absence of a secure large-event facility in Washington, D.C., and asserted the shooting “could never have taken place in the new facility,” calling the project a national security requirement.
The filing was accompanied by a sworn affidavit from Secret Service deputy director Matthew Quinn, who described security limitations at large off-site venues. Quinn wrote that events held off site bring members of the public into closer proximity to the president, while the White House is a controlled facility with permanent security infrastructure.
Alleged gunman Cole Allen was charged Monday with attempting to assassinate President Trump at the Washington Hilton. The report noted that after an attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan outside the same hotel in 1981, the Hilton was retrofitted to accommodate presidential visits; presidents commonly attend events there multiple times a year.
Judge Leon has raised concerns about the project’s $400 million private financing arrangement and the lack of congressional input. Republican Sen. Rand Paul, chair of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, said he would introduce legislation to allow the ballroom’s construction.
Blanche’s brief also criticized the National Trust on political grounds, accusing it of “Trump Derangement Syndrome, commonly referred to as TDS,” and argued that if any other president had the ability to build the proposed ballroom, “there would never have been a lawsuit.” The trust did not immediately respond to requests for comment.