‘Why Not Just Go To Congress?’ Fox News Anchor Confronts Todd Blanche About Trump Plowing Forward With White House Ballroom

Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Trump administration has a “fundamental disagreement” with the appeals court which ruled the president needs congressional approval to move forward with his much-publicized and much-criticized White House ballroom project, with Blanche telling Fox News on Sunday the administration already has the authority it needs to plow ahead.

The attorney general was asked about the project during an interview on Fox News Sunday.

Anchor Shannon Bream noted the recent 2-1 decision from the D.C. circuit called for halting the project, at least for the moment; Bream read from the ruling, which said it “doesn’t necessarily mean the defendants may not ultimately construct the ballroom. what it does mean is that the defendants may not do so during the district court’s expeditious litigation without securing Congress’s authorization as the Constitution and laws require.”

She then asked, “Why not just go to Congress?”

“We don’t believe we have to go Congress,” Blanche said. “We believe congress has already given us the authority to do what we’re doing. Many presidents have done a tremendous amount of work to the White House, as they should, and congress has authorized them to do so. So we have a fundamental disagreement with those two judges.”

Blanche then pointed to the emergency filing the administration made with the Supreme Court on Friday. The filing said stopping the project — which it said is about two-thirds complete — is a national security threat; work is supposed to stop on August 21 unless the Supreme Court rules in the administration’s favor.

Blanche said President Donald Trump “has the authority to do this, and he said that because he absolutely does have the authority to do this. And we’re hopeful that the Supreme Court recognizes that so we can get the ballroom finished as soon as possible.”

He also echoed what Trump said after the assassination attempt against him at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in April — that the ballroom is necessary for safety reasons.

“Yes it is a ballroom, but it’s also a meaningful upgrade and necessary part of the security of this city and the president and his family,” Blanche said. “And so it’s not just about a place for world leaders to come and have dinner, it’s also about making sure the president, his family, guests, world leaders, are safe when they’re in this city.”

Watch above.

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