The construction project for a White House ballroom, being pushed by the Donald Trump administration, is expected to resume following a shooting incident that occurred last weekend.

President Trump has emphasized on social media that "this shooting incident would not have happened if there had been a ballroom inside the White House," urging the swift construction of a ballroom with world-class security at the demolition site of the East Wing for security reasons.

A court order had halted the construction, ruling that the president cannot alter above-ground structures of the White House without congressional approval, but it did permit the construction of underground facilities deemed necessary for security.

The Department of Justice sent a letter to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, requesting that the previous injunction halting construction be overturned and that the ballroom construction be allowed, citing security reasons following the recent shooting at an external banquet hall. President Trump released this letter on Truth Social.

Previously, the National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit, alleging that President Trump demolished the East Wing without proper authorization by the end of 2025. Federal Judge Richard Leon ordered a halt to construction in March 2026, ruling that the project would likely require congressional approval.

Subsequently, the U.S. Court of Appeals temporarily stayed Judge Leon's order, allowing the $400 million White House ballroom construction to proceed until early June. As the Department of Justice has requested a complete lifting of the construction halt order, the court is expected to shift its stance towards conditionally permitting construction within the scope of meeting security requirements.

The remaining issue is congressional approval.

Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) announced on Tuesday through a series of X posts his support for President Trump and the White House ballroom construction, stating his intention to introduce related legislation.

He stated, "I support the construction of a new White House ballroom alongside the President. In the aftermath of the recent assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, it is clear that this safe, large-scale event space is necessary for the President, future administrations, and America. I reviewed this project directly as a member of the National Capital Planning Commission earlier this month and supported it."

Senator Paul added, "I am introducing legislation to keep the ballroom project privately funded, fully transparent to Congress, and at no cost to taxpayers. This bill requires any executive residence project exceeding $1 million to be reviewed by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the House Oversight and Accountability Committee. Once the chairs confirm review, it will be published in the Congressional Record and approved, followed by progress reports. This is for accountability, not bureaucracy."

The shooting and assassination attempt that occurred at the White House Correspondents' Association annual dinner last Saturday has created a favorable environment for President Trump in several respects.

The resumption of ballroom construction is just one of these. Following the assassination attempt, President Trump has reiterated his call to Congress for the passage of the "Save America Act," the Department of Justice has indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), and the FBI has executed 22 search warrants on alleged daycare facilities in Minnesota.

By Hong Sung-koo, Chief Reporter, NNP / Special Correspondent, NNP info@newsandpost.com