Former President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social account Saturday to post AI-generated images depicting a heavily fortified "DronePort" atop the controversial $400 million ballroom project at the White House. The images, showing military drones and armed troops, were shared a day after a federal appeals court ordered Trump to cease construction and seek 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!!!" Trump wrote.
The appeals court panel ruled 2-1 on Friday that Trump must halt construction on the 90,000-square-foot ballroom. The judges criticized the former president for demolishing the White House's East Wing in October 2025 without obtaining Congressional approval or conducting promised consultations. The court described the construction, which began in September 2025, as an unprecedented act of "Executive self-help" with no historical parallel.
![Illustration of a "Drone Port" at the White House with military drones and soldiers on the rooftop.]( "Illustration of a "Drone Port" at the White House with military drones and soldiers on the rooftop.")
A second image posted by Trump showed a sundown scene with drones appearing as large as trucks and 28 armed servicemembers standing at attention. Trump had previously described the ballroom's drone capabilities in May, stating it was designed not only to be drone-proof but also as a drone port to protect Washington.
The majority opinion, authored by judges Patricia Millet and Bradley Garcia, stated, "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. Until now."
The panel concluded that the decision to construct a massive ballroom should be made by Congress, not through "Executive self-help."
Trump expressed anger over the ruling, vowing to appeal to the Supreme Court. He referred to the ballroom as a "military center" in a Friday post and stated that the "Military and Secret Service are viewing this horrendous, politically motivated, and unlawful ruling as a National Security threat to our Nation."
The court's ruling upheld a decision by US District Judge Richard Leon. However, Judge Leon had previously allowed for "below-ground construction, including construction of bunkers, bomb-shelters, and military and medical infrastructure, as well as above-ground construction 'strictly necessary to cover, secure, and protect' such facilities."
