Trump posts image of fortified drone port atop White House ballroom in rebuke to judges

President Trump posted AI-generated images of a heavily fortified White House “DronePort” Saturday — bristling with military drones and armed troops — a day after a federal appeals court ordered him to halt construction of the $400 million ballroom project and get Congressional approval.“This great and very important military asset sits atop the heavily protected Ballroom at the White House.It provides National Security for Washington, D.C., and will protect future Presidents!!!” the president wrote on his Truth Social account.An appeals court panel ruled 2-1 Friday that Trump must stop construction on the 90,000-square-foot ballroom — blasting the president for demolishing the White House’s entire East Wing “over just three days in October 2025” without Congressional approval or promised consultations.

The court also called the construction — which began in September 2025 and involved the tearing down of the East Wing — an unprecedented act of “Executive self-help” with no equivalent in American history.A second image the president posted shows a scene at sundown, with dramatic shadows of the drones, many as large as a truck.It depicts with 28 armed servicemembers standing at attention.Trump described the drone capabilities of the $400 million project in May, even as the National Trust for Historic Preservation fought the project in court, claiming it was unlawful.“The ⁠entire roof is built for military,” Trump said.

“They have a massive drone capacity.Not only is it drone-proof, if a drone hits it, it bounces off, it won’t have any impact.

But it’s also meant ⁠as a ​drone port that would protect all of Washington.”The two-judge majority on the appeals court did not mince words.“We are aware of no instance in American history in which a President unilaterally and using privately collected funds demolished substantial portions of the White House that Congress authorized to be built and American taxpayers paid for....