DOJ urges appeals court to let Trump build ballroom, citing failed UFC attack

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Washington Post

DOJ urges appeals court to let Trump build ballroom, citing failed UFC attack

A top Justice Department official said the ballroom's planned “Drone Port and Sniper Nests” would have been able to “destroy any effort” to attack the UFC event.

June 17, 2026 at 6:26 a.m. EDT Today at 6:26 a.m. EDT
3 min


The Trump administration says that a foiled attack on the UFC event held on the White House grounds over the weekend proves the need for a new ballroom. (Nathan Howard/Reuters)

By Dan Diamond

The Justice Department is asking a federal appeals court to let President Donald Trump continue building his planned White House ballroom, arguing that a thwarted attack on Trump’s recent Ultimate Fighting Championship event proves the need for the facility.

Brett Shumate, an assistant attorney general, urged a panel at the U.S. Court of Appeals for D.C. to lift a lower court’s order blocking much of the construction on the 90,000-square-foot ballroom, contending that the project’s security features are needed to protect the president.

As evidence, Shumate cited the foiled threat against the UFC event on the White House grounds over the weekend. Authorities have said they intercepted and stopped plans to fly explosives-laden drones over attendees and gun down people who fled.

{snip}

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/06/17/trump-white-house-ballroom-would-have-helped-stop-planned-ufc-attack-doj-argues/

---

Also at:

https://www.joemygod.com/2026/06/justice-dept-cites-ufc-terror-plot-in-ballroom-appeal/