Justice Dept. Seeks to Resume White House Ballroom Construction

0:00It's April 29th. Welcome in. This is Tampa Bay News today, where local news meets AI. I'm Cory with the story. The Justice Department just filed a motion to lift a court injunction blocking construction on a $400 million White House ballroom in the East Wing. This comes right after a shooting at the White House Correspondents Association dinner on Saturday night where a guy from California allegedly tried to rush in and take out President Trump and his team. Having Attorney General Todd Blanch promised over the weekend to push for this, if the National Trust for Historic Preservation didn't drop there, lawsuit. The injunction from Judge Richard Leon had halted all above groundwork, letting only underground bunker stuff continue for national security reasons. Trump wasted no time linking the attack to the ballroom need, calling the Washington Hilton venue insecure during a post-shooting presser. He pushed for the secure, drone-proof space with bullet-proof glass, saying it's why they need these upgrades now.

1:00Supporters like Senator Lindsey Graham called it a national security must-have, giving the Secret Service total control in a hardened spot. Even Democrat Senator John Federman agreed, noting how the dinner put the presidential line of succession at risk with everyone there. The filing blasted the lay as dangerous for current and future presidents, urging the court to end this lawsuit fast. With security threats real, expect this battle to heat up as construction hangs in the balance.