Trump calls appeals court’s decision to halt ballroom construction ‘National Security Threat at the highest level’
Donald Trump called the decision to halt construction of his $400m White House ballroom a “National Security Threat at the highest level” in a post on Truth Social.
“We are not tenants, who pay rent and do all other things that a tenant must do, 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. “This decision, made after much of the work has been done and paid for, is a National Security Threat at the highest level.”
Earlier today, a US federal appeals court sided with historic preservationists who sued to stop construction of the 90,000-square-foot (8,400-square-meter) ballroom, which he has repeatedly labeled as “a gift” to the US people.
The order upheld a preliminary injunction won by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The group sued last year after the Trump administration tore down the historic East Wing and began building a ballroom without seeking authorization from Congress.
The appeals court put its ruling on hold for two weeks to allow the administration to appeal to the US supreme court.
District court judge Richard Leon had said in a March opinion that any construction work left incomplete, although it poses concerns regarding the “safety and security of the White House grounds and the President himself, the existence of a ‘large hole’ beside the White House is, of course, a problem of the President’s own making.”
Key events
Closing summary
This concludes our live coverage of the second Trump administration for the day. Here are the latest developments:
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A US federal appeals court has ordered the Trump administration to halt construction of the US president’s $400m White House ballroom, in a fresh blow to the controversial project. Donald Trump, who demolished the historic East Wing of the White House last year to make way for planned ballroom, has repeatedly touted it as “a gift” to the US people. More here.
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Donald Trump is attempting once again to oust the US Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook over allegations of mortgage fraud, despite a recent US supreme court decision that upheld the central bank’s independence. Cook reportedly received a letter from the White House that provided notice that Trump was “considering removing” her from her Fed position over the same claims of mortgage fraud that he levied against her last summer. More here.
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Bill Cassidy, the US Republican senator seen as the decisive holdout on Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general, announced that he will support the pick, setting the stage for a major win for Trump. Confirmation that Cassidy, of Louisiana, is prepared to back Blanche – Trump’s former personal lawyer, and a loyal ally of the president – appeared to clear the last hurdle of his confirmation process, which had been challenged by the defections of the Republican senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins. More here.
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Trump has made a second attempt to restrict the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship, just weeks after the US supreme court rejected his initial, more sweeping bid to deny automatic citizenship to the children born to undocumented immigrants and temporary foreign residents. Trump on Thursday signed two executive orders that seek to broaden the categories of children ineligible for automatic US citizenship and ban so-called “birth tourism”. More here.
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Trump has ordered a new 15% tariff on imported products made of polysilicon, an important ingredient in microchip manufacturing that is primarily produced by China. The new tariff, which will take effect on 4 December, is aimed at supporting US chip and solar panel supply chains to compete with Beijing on artificial intelligence and energy. More here.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, supreme court justice Samuel Alito confirmed that he will stay in his position “for another term,” rejecting any notion that he will retire soon.
His comments are the first regarding his time left as supreme court justice after NPR’s veteran reporter Nina Totenberg earlier this summer mistakenly reported that Alito was retiring.
“Obviously I’m here for another term,” Alito said in an interview published in the newspaper’s opinion section. The court’s annual term will begin in October.
In reference to rumors of his retirement, Alito said that “it’s not pleasant, in the sense that it’s a reminder of mortality.”
“It’s like, what are those vultures doing up there? They are flying around. But it goes with life tenure,” he said.
The Pentagon has revoked former Air Force secretary Frank Kendall’s eligibility for access to classified information, said Sean Parnell, the chief Pentagon spokesperson.
“This action follows his unauthorized disclosure of classified information regarding Air Force One’s capabilities to a media outlet,” Parnell said in a post on X.
The Pentagon also revoked “his ability to hold any sensitive position.”
The move follows reporting from The New York Times of security concerns over the new, Qatari-gifted Air Force One, including the lack of infrared countermeasures to divert heat-seeking missiles and sensors to detect incoming launches.
In the Times article, Kendall, a trained lawyer and engineer who served under President Joe Biden, is quoted as saying that the time for upgrades to the plane would not have been enough for “all the normal Air Force One modifications” and he was surprised that the plane was used outside the US.
The Trump administration is planning to give $1 billion in security assistance to the government of Colombia’s new right-wing President Abelardo De La Espriella, per Reuters.
“As a cornerstone of this renewed partnership, the United States, working with Congress, intends to announce $1 billion in assistance as part of a security package to support President de la Espriella’s Administration in achieving our shared goals,” the state department told the outlet in a statement.
The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office announced a civil rights investigation looking into the state’s largest immigration detention facility, according to a statement released on Friday.
The probe comes days after Edwin Lopez-Cornejo, a Salvadorian immigrant being held at the Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark, died in ICE custody.
“New Jersey has a legal and a moral duty to stand up for the civil rights of people in our State,” said attorney general Jennifer Davenport. “For detained individuals, including those held by a private corporation like GEO Group, those rights include the right to humane treatment and adequate medical care. We will take every action available under law to safeguard these core legal principles. We ask individuals to share their personal experiences with us so that we can take action to ensure that rights are protected.”
Delaney Hall, an immigration detention facility operated by the private prison firm GEO Group, has faced intense scrutiny since reopening under the second Trump administration. It has since faced accusations of substandard medical care, inedible food and neglectful guards.
In May, a group of detained men launched a hunger and labor strike, demanding a meeting with the New Jersey governor and improved living conditions, with dozens of women joining shortly after.
Trump calls appeals court’s decision to halt ballroom construction ‘National Security Threat at the highest level’
Donald Trump called the decision to halt construction of his $400m White House ballroom a “National Security Threat at the highest level” in a post on Truth Social.
“We are not tenants, who pay rent and do all other things that a tenant must do, 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. “This decision, made after much of the work has been done and paid for, is a National Security Threat at the highest level.”
Earlier today, a US federal appeals court sided with historic preservationists who sued to stop construction of the 90,000-square-foot (8,400-square-meter) ballroom, which he has repeatedly labeled as “a gift” to the US people.
The order upheld a preliminary injunction won by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The group sued last year after the Trump administration tore down the historic East Wing and began building a ballroom without seeking authorization from Congress.
The appeals court put its ruling on hold for two weeks to allow the administration to appeal to the US supreme court.
District court judge Richard Leon had said in a March opinion that any construction work left incomplete, although it poses concerns regarding the “safety and security of the White House grounds and the President himself, the existence of a ‘large hole’ beside the White House is, of course, a problem of the President’s own making.”
Prosecutor fired over blogposts critical of Trump sues US justice department
A federal prosecutor fired last year over critical comments he had written as a private citizen about Donald Trump sued the justice department, the AP reports, saying his termination violated his first amendment rights.
Will Rosenzweig was two weeks away from trying a multimillion-dollar Medicare fraud case when a blog he had written years earlier covering a broad range of topics was publicized online by a conservative political commentator who also included a screenshot of Rosenzweig’s LinkedIn account and tagged senior justice department officials for their awareness.
Less than three hours after the post, the lawsuit says, Rosenzweig received an email signed by then attorney general Pam Bondi informing him that he had been fired. The news came as Rosenzweig was out of town with his family observing the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashana.
Oregon governor supports locally-set moratoriums on data center development
Oregon’s Democratic governor, Tina Kotek, said she supports locally set moratoriums on new data center construction, with her comments coming nearly two weeks after the city of Hillsboro became the first in the state to enact such a temporary prohibition.
“Data center corporations are taking Oregon out to an expensive dinner and leaving our environment, communities, and people to foot the bill,” Kotek said in a statement. “Local governments are doing the right thing in calling for a pause until we can get this right.”
Kotek also directed the department of administrative services last week to terminate Oregon’s contract for the sale of approximately 32 acres in southeast Salem for a proposed data center project.
Her remarks respond to increasing concerns over data centers’ impacts on the environment and the electrical grid. A poll released this week found that 71% of Oregonians “have a negative impression of data centers.” Oregon currently has about 135 operational and planned data centers, according to Data Center Map.
Donald Trump announced a list of deals and investments that aim to bolster mining, totaling more than $2 billion in projects and mining school investments.
The largest chunk will go to the California-based company Sila Nanotechnologies to build a battery facility and expand production, coming as a $1.4b investment from the defense department.
The department will also give $400m to Sunrise Energy Metals to develop scandium, which is used in fighter jets and spacecraft, among other companies. The Export-Import Bank, which provides financing to support US exports, is also investing in a boron deposit, battery manufacturing, and tantalum and niobium to make electronics, magnet, and steel.
Donald Trump once again targeted Jeanine Pirro, the US attorney for the District of Columbia, this time writing a post on Truth Social saying she should “re-visit her hastily made decision” after she dismissed vandalism charges against Olympic canoeist David Hearn last week.
Trump reposted images from a photographer of what seemed like the reflecting pool showing “slashes”, according to the US president, who also claimed “there were witnesses to the VANDALISM.”
“U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro should re-visit her hastily made decision,” he wrote.
These comments are just the latest in a series of snubs against Pirro, a longtime Trump ally. After her decision to dismiss the charges, the president accused her of having “folded like an umbrella.” He also told NBC News that he didn’t “understand why she did such a stupid thing.”
