The Trump administration has cited a weekend shooting near the White House as evidence that the president needs a secure ballroom to host events, but critics point to an upcoming UFC event on the South Lawn as contradictory.
Administration's Argument
After a gunman opened fire near the White House, the Justice Department filed a brief arguing that without a National Security Facility, events must be held in vulnerable tents on the South Lawn. The brief stated that the shooting demonstrated the danger, as it would have been within range of a tent. Secret Service agents fatally shot the 21-year-old suspect, who had apparent mental health issues.
UFC Event Contradiction
Despite these security concerns, the White House is hosting an open-air mixed-martial arts event, UFC Freedom 250, on June 14, which is President Trump's 80th birthday. Large arches have been erected for the event, which expects hundreds of guests. Juliette Kayyem, a national security lecturer at Harvard, argued that the UFC plans undermine the ballroom argument. She stated that the administration cannot claim both that the UFC event is safe and that a ballroom is needed for security.
Legal Battle
The administration is appealing a ruling by U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, who blocked ballroom construction without congressional approval. Republican lawmakers have resisted the $1 billion request for the East Wing Modernization Project. The administration called the injunction unlawful and detrimental to presidential security. An appeals court has allowed underground construction to continue until a hearing next month.
Shifting Justifications
Initially, the administration argued that tents were unsightly, not unsafe. A July press release stated that the White House could not host major functions without an unsightly tent. Kayyem called the shift to security arguments cynical, saying the ballroom was always about parties, not security. The UFC event, she said, exposes that lie.
In a court filing, the government also claimed tents cannot stop bullets and are vulnerable to water and flooding, noting that many events have been ruined by rain.
