Once again attempting to justify Donald Trump's hotly-debated nine-figure White House renovations, his administration have claimed the project is a 'matter of national security'.
The Republican frontman, 79, first announced plans for a multimillion-dollar ballroom for the presidential residence back in July, claiming the construction would allow him to host world leaders.
Despite initially predicting it'd set 'private donors' back $200 million, Trump later added another $100,000,000 onto the total costs, despite a huge proportion of Americans enduring an ongoing cost-of-living crisis and relying on food stamps to get by.
So far, he's torn down the entire historical East Wing, and adorned several areas of his residence in gold - a decision later branded as 'tacky'.
Advert
As such, concerns have been raised regarding the historical, environmental, architectural and financial harms allegedly being caused by the controversial assignment.
As we say, however, as the project continues being bashed by both US citizens and international onlookers, Trump's team have released a somewhat bizarre update, insisting the renovations are absolutely necessary.
The claim came in response to court documents filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation on Monday (15 Dec), which requested a federal judge to put a stop to the costly assignment until multiple independent reviews have given the go-ahead.
As part of what experts are describing as the most tangible effort so far in preventing the president's plan, the Trust also sought Congress' official approval for the project - something that hasn't yet been granted.
"No president is legally allowed to tear down portions of the White House without any review whatsoever - not President Trump, not President Biden, and not anyone else," the suit states.
On top of this, documents also hear critics asking for Trump himself to be condemned for 'fast-tracking' the construction, and committing multiple violations of both the Administrative Procedures Act and the National Environmental Policy Act.
Hitting back at the demand, Trump's team put forward an assessment made by US Secret Service deputy director Matthew C. Quinn, who claimed the reconstructions are integral to ensure the White House meet's 'safety and security requirements'.
Furthermore, the administration as reported offered to share classified details with the judge presiding over the case in an in-person setting.
Trump's team opted, however, not to detail these alleged national security threats.
They did insist, however, that the Trust was unable to establish 'irreparable harm' caused by the project at this point in time, given that its completion is not estimated until April.
"Even if plaintiff could overcome the threshold barriers of mootness, ripeness, and lack of standing, plaintiff would fail to meet each of the stringent requirements necessary to obtain such extraordinary preliminary relief," the administration responded.
Topics: Donald Trump, US News, Politics
Rhianna Benson