Trump asks Supreme Court to let him build ballroom, citing national security needs and architectural values. 1/3

President Donald Trump is asking the Supreme Court to allow him to build a ballroom at the White House, citing previous threats to Trump’s life, national security needs and architectural values.

The emergency request filed Friday comes after lower courts repeatedly ruled that Trump needed approval from Congress before moving forward with the $400 million project. The filing also includes new renderings of the ballroom that show stylistic changes, including the addition of at least two large presidential seals in gold on the outside of the building.

The latest rebuke came last week, when an appeals court in Washington, DC, said the president lacked any authority to unilaterally pursue the planned ballroom and ordered him to stop work at the site of the former East Wing until lawmakers gave their blessing. But the court paused implementation of its decision for 14 days to give Trump time to appeal to the justices.

US Solicitor General John Sauer argued in the filing with the Supreme Court that the East Wing construction was “absolutely required “ for the president’s safety, noting the attempts that have been made on Trump’s life in recent years.

“The President of the United States of America is not a tenant, but rather the sole, elected head of the Executive Branch, and Congress has authorized him to renovate, secure, and protect the White House and its grounds, as other Presidents have been allowed to do, without exception,” Sauer wrote. “The injunction is ‘judicial overreach beyond the proper province of the federal courts.’”

The request is th first time any of Trump’s pet projects has landed before the Supreme Court. In recent months, lower courts sifting through a litany of cases challenging his plans to remake Washington have looked skeptically at his arguments defending his approach or issued rulings frustrating his pursuits.

In the ballroom case, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals agreed on August 7 with a federal judge’s ruling directing Trump to halt work on the above-ground portions of the ballroom. Both rulings permitted construction of a highly sophisticated bunker under the ballroom to continue.

“Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help,” the DC Circuit said in its 2-1 ruling.

The case was brought last year by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the nation’s top historic preservation group.

“The National Trust has shown, compellingly, that Congress has not ceded unfettered authority to the Executive Branch to dramatically redesign, reshape, and reconstruct the White House – the People’s House – to fit a particular President’s desires,” the appeals court concluded.

https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/14/politics/trump-asks-supreme-court-white-house-ballroom

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The preservation group has until noon on Tuesday to respond to Trump’s petition at the high court.

White House stresses security

The Trump administration argued Friday that the carveout the lower courts made for continued construction of the security bunker was not enough, and said the order “threatens the security and safety of the President.”

“The entire ballroom structure is designed to shield the military installation beneath it,” Sauer wrote, “Halting the Project will stall this vital construction, making this President — the subject of recurrent assassination attempts — much less safe, and risking future Presidents’ safety.”

Above-grade construction on the ballroom began in the spring and has made considerable progress. Images posted by Trump in early August reveal multiple levels of concrete support columns and metal rebar amid a significant amount of construction equipment, including a tower crane.

The president has been personally involved in ballroom details, from floor plans to marble selection. The sprawling ballroom project has an estimated size of approximately 89,000 square feet, according to lead architect Shalom Baranes. By contrast, the primary White House structure, the Executive Mansion, is just 55,000 square feet.

Trump has maintained that the project isn’t subject to any oversight and that he should be able to continue with it without any serious scrutiny.

The administration said Friday that “Congress gave the President the power to make “alteration[s]” and “improvement[s]” to the White House “as the President may determine.”

Trump has said it will be finished in the summer of 2028, an expedited timeline for completion months before he leaves office.

His administration argued to the Supreme Court that freezing the construction at this stage “would create a veritable obstacle course for the Secret Service, further imperiling safety.”

“The partially finished, 70-foot concrete-and-steel superstructure ‘cannot be largely left alone at this point’ without tremendous setbacks that will fundamentally compromise the integrity of everything currently built there,’ not to mention the ‘major safety risk’ from leaving it with inadequate’ stability or strength to handle wind and heavy loads on [its] own,” Sauer said.

https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/14/politics/trump-asks-supreme-court-white-house-ballroom

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‘Magnificent Corinthian columns’ and gold seals

New renderings of the ballroom provided to the Supreme Court include new details, including the addition of at least two large presidential seals in gold.

A source familiar with the approval process of historical buildings in DC says that this should necessitate the project going before and getting approval from the Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capital Planning Commissions, the federal agencies that oversee the planning of federal spaces in DC.

“The White House’s exterior has long embodied a restrained aesthetic of republican simplicity, not opulent display,” the source said, “The addition of the large, gaudy gold seals clashes with that tradition.”

Friday’s filing also said the ballroom’s design had been inspired by the Supreme Court “and, in particular, its magnificent Corinthian columns — considered the highest column order in architecture.”

The columns, made of the “highest-grade Indiana limestone” that had been shipped to Italy, “are being being carved by some of the greatest artists anywhere in the world,” Sauer said.

“Delivery and installation will begin shortly,” he said.

https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/14/politics/trump-asks-supreme-court-white-house-ballroom

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No one would have blocked this upgrade if it was Obama or other presidents. They would fall over themselves if it was another President. All the ones that never paid attention to the value and beauty of the White House or DC. They let it dissolve into a junk yard.

Vance warns of ‘rising interest in socialism’ in US

Republicans risk losing younger voters unless living standards improve, the vice president has said

Published 14 Aug, 2026 22:08

The US Republican Party must address the economic pressures facing Americans or risk driving more young people toward socialism, Vice President J.D. Vance has said.

Vance made the remarks in an interview with Fox News on Thursday, pointing to the cost of housing and education,access to well-paid jobs, and the ability to start a family as key concerns.

“Our response to that can’t just be to ignore the economic concerns that I think are feeding this rising interest in socialism,”Vance said.

He pointed to what he described as trillions of dollars in new investment flowing into the US, saying it would create middle-class jobs. He also cited stabilizing housing prices and the administration’s push for lower interest rates, while acknowledging that the effects of its policies could take time to be felt.

“My warning to my fellow Republicans would be if we don’t get this right, don’t blame young people for being sympathetic to socialism. We’ve got to blame ourselves,”Vance said.

He added that Republicans could not counter the trend simply by defending the free market, saying “You don’t stop socialism by throwing slogans at people about the free market. You stop socialism by making people’s lives better.”

Vance’s comments come ahead of November’s midterm elections, with the cost of living among the main issues worrying voters. A national poll conducted by Marquette University Law School in May showed inflation and living costs were the public’s top concern, cited by 37% of respondents.

Economic pressures have been compounded by higher energy costs fueled by the US-Israeli war on Iran and by Trump’s tariffs, while high home prices have made homeownership more difficult to attain. The median asking price for a US home stood at $430,000 in June, according to data cited by Forbes.

The economic strain has coincided with greater openness to socialism among younger Americans. A Gallup poll in 2025 showed that 39% of US adults viewed socialism positively, compared to 54% that held a high opinion of capitalism, and 81% that favored free enterprise, with socialism more popular among younger adults.

The divide has also become more visible in electoral politics, with progressive candidates making gains in Democratic primaries across the country. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, rose to prominence on an affordability-focused platform.

Vance has previously blamed decades of policy under both Republican and Democratic governments for the economic discontent, pointing to the loss of US manufacturing jobs, pressure on wages, and rising living costs.

Republicans have also faced weak ratings on the economy. The Marquette survey put Trump’s approval on the economy at 30% and on inflation and the cost of living at 22%, while respondents favored Democrats over Republicans on handling both issues.

(https://www.rt.com/news/644257-us-economic-pressure-socialism/

US issues NATO members ‘loyalty test’ – Bloomberg

Washington is seeking confirmation of support for its policies in the Middle East and access to other countries’ military bases

Published 14 Aug, 2026

The US is making military support for NATO members contingent on how closely they align with President Donald Trump’s foreign policy, Bloomberg has reported.

Washington has recently sent NATO members a document containing a series of questions aimed at gauging their alignment with the Trump administration, the agency said.

Governments were asked whether they had “been publicly supportive” of US foreign-policy initiatives, including those in the Middle East and Western Hemisphere, the outlet reported, citing a copy it had reviewed.Washington also wanted to know what “restrictions” individual countries have imposed on US forces operating from military bases on their territory.

The answers could factor into decisions about how US military capabilities are distributed among NATO members,according to Bloomberg.

The apparent loyalty test comes amid widening tensions between Washington and its traditional European allies, withTrump repeatedly accusing NATO members of relying on US protection while failing to contribute enough to their own defense.

Trump has long been a fierce critic of NATO countries’ defense spending, repeatedlyaccusing European members of underfunding their militaries and effectively relying on Washington to bankroll their defense.

Earlier this summer, he renewed his criticism ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara, arguing that theUS “spends more money on NATO than any other country, by far, to protect them, without getting any benefit.” He contrasted nearly $1 trillion in annual US defense spending with significantly smaller expenditures by individual European allies.

NATO members agreed at last year’s summit in The Hague to raise defense and security-related spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. Trump hailed the pledge as a victory for Washington but has since questioned whether all members are on track to meet the target.

Defense spending is not the only source of friction, however. Tensions have intensified further over the US war with Iran, with Trump criticizing European allies for refusing to become more directly involved and complaining that “they were not there for us.”

Several NATO members also refused to allow Washington to use jointly operated military bases for offensive operations against Iran. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth branded the restrictions “shameful,” arguing that they had put American troops “at risk.”

The US, however, still maintains an extensive military presence across Europe, including tens of thousands of personnel in Germany. Ramstein Air Base is one of Washington’s most important military hubs outside the US and a key logistical center for operations in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

The growing disagreements have, in turn, fueled debate in Europe about reducing its reliance on Washington for security.European officials have increasinglydiscussed “strategic autonomy” and the need to develop greater capacity to defend the continent should US priorities diverge from the rest of NATO.

(https://www.rt.com/news/644266-washington-quizzes-nato-allies-on-loyalty/

Europe is trying to FAFO, that won’t work!

Wired for War: Why is the UK protecting Israeli election meddlers?

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London’s refusal to investigate BlackCore suggests that the company is doing the bidding of the Israeli state

Published 14 Aug, 2026 20:18 |

The British government is refusing to disclose information onhow an Israeli “information warfare” firm targeted Scotland’s pro-Palestine first minister. Nobody’s saying who ordered the operation, but a trail of clues leads through Africa to Tel Aviv.

The operation was revealed in June by Viginum, a division of France’s DGSI domestic intelligence agency focused on combatting foreign interference.According to Viginum’s report, an Israeli private “information warfare” firm called BlackCore interfered in mayoral elections in France, parliamentary elections in Scotland, and the mayoral election in New York City, all of which took place between March and June of this year.

RT already covered the French plot in our ‘Wired for War’ series, and BlackCore’s activity in Scotland followed a similar playbook.At least 256 accounts were created to spread disparaging information about First Minister John Swinney, a vocal supporter of Palestinewho has publicly stated that “a genocide is unfolding in Gaza as a result of Israel’s actions,” banned public funding to Israeli-linked companies, and called on the British government to recognize the State of Palestine.

The British government has refused two separate Freedom of Information requests filed by The National, a Scottish newspaper. In one response, the government said it would not disclose any information it had on BlackCore, as to do so would “prejudice relations between the United Kingdom and any other state,”The National reported on August 11. In a second response, it explained that the request was denied in order to “avoid giving offence to other nations and retain the trust of our international partners.”

The other state referenced here is evidently Israel.

Is BlackCore an Israeli intelligence cutout?

Little is known about BlackCore. The company scrubbed its online presence immediately after the Viginum report was published,but according to archived material from its website, BlackCore is “an elite influence, cyber, and technology company built for the modern era of information warfare.” It specializes in “shap[ing] narratives” and “influenc[ing] perceptions” for clients in politics and government, and supposedly has been operating for 15 years.

According to an investigation by Israel’s Haaretz newspaper,the company is not registered anywhere in the world, but shares web infrastructure with two companies founded by tech entrepreneur Guy Geyor and lawyer Doron Afik.Both of these firms employ veterans of Israeli intelligence agencies, including one former member of the Israel Defense Forces’ Unit 8200.

BlackCore hires Israeli spies and targets Israel’s opponents, but so far, claims that the company takes its orders from the Israeli state are the stuff of conjecture – no matter how obvious they seem. At a press conference in June, Viginum chief Marc-Antoine Brillant said “our investigations did not make it possible ​to identify the sponsor or sponsors, if indeed they exist, behind this foreign digital interference.”

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said France has demanded information on BlackCore from the Israeli government. However, it is unclear whether Israel has responded.…

(https://www.rt.com/news/644204-israel-election-interference-scotland/

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The Africa connection

BlackCore’s operations went beyond the US and Europe. In the course of their investigation, Vigilum agents discovered that some of the same social media accounts used to spread falsehoods about three left-wing candidates in France were used to spread content promoting Angola’s ruling MPLA movement. Theaccounts switched their usernamesfrom French to Portuguese to reach Angola’s Portuguese-speaking population, but forgot to switch languages in some cases, continuing to post in French.

Investigators found a BlackCore-associated web address – ‘angola-plan.blackcore.online’ – which detailed a four-week training program that the company provided to the Angolan government in February. The program covered “communicating positive government campaigns” and “social media operations.”

BlackCore was also tied to a project called ‘Politizando Angola’ on multiple social media platforms, and a TikTok account called ‘Deep Dive Africa’. Both accounts use the same branding, and are linked by phone number to a fake Islamic charity that BlackCore used in its French and Scottish operations.

‘Deep Dive Africa’ promoted an Israeli medical mission to Togo in February. A humanitarian project of the Sheba Medical Center, the mission was in no way connected with BlackCore’s election operations. However, the Sheba Medical Center is entirely funded by the Israeli state, meaning BlackCore was using the same web infrastructure to carry out ‘information warfare” in some countries, and state-backed soft power operations in others.

All roads lead to Israel

The hospital post is not a smoking gun. Rather,it is an example of how every detail in the BlackCore story is another thread leading back to Tel Aviv. The same pattern is borne out across the growing sphere of Israeli private intelligence agencies and cyberwarfare companies: ‘former’ Israeli spies working in the private sector, almost exclusively to advance Israeli interests, often with the tacit backing of the Israeli government.

The Viginum report is the only comprehensive account of BlackCore’s activity that has been made public. Whatever information the British are withholding is apparently so damning that to release it would seriously damage the UK’s relations with Israel. As such, the chances of Israel revealing any details to the French are slim to none, and Benjamin Netanyahu’s security establishment has likely made sure that any undiscovered evidence has long been scrubbed from the internet.

While it is understandable that Israel would seek to wash its hands of any involvement in foreign interference, the fact that the UK would trade political capital to protect Israel’s reputation – after the EU also refused to investigate Israeli election meddling in Slovenia and Cyprus – raises another uncomfortable question: just how much influence does one Middle Eastern state have on the leaders of Europe?

https://www.rt.com/news/644204-israel-election-interference-scotland/