Trump says White House banquet hall will house 'DronePort,' calls lawsuit blocking construction 'ridiculous'

President Donald Trump said Thursday that a drone defense facility called a "DronePort" will be installed in the White House banquet hall under construction, and called for the immediate dismissal of a lawsuit seeking to block the project on national security grounds.

In a Truth Social post that day, Trump said the DronePort at the White House banquet hall "will be perhaps the most sophisticated facility of its kind in the world" and that it "will keep Washington, D.C., safe for a long, long time to come."

Trump also leveled sharp criticism at U.S. District Judge Richard Leon of Washington, D.C., who had earlier ordered construction halted at the trial court level.

"Stop playing games with the security of America," Trump said, warning that if anything were to happen, the judge "will be responsible for the death and destruction that has been caused to our country."

Trump said that with "very sophisticated and powerful modern weapons now available, we can no longer defend Washington, D.C., with just rifles and pistols," underscoring the need for a new defense system.

"This ridiculous Lawsuit must be dismissed, immediately," he said.

Trump had invited White House reporters to tour the banquet hall construction site on May 19, where he personally unveiled the building plans.

At the time, he said "the entire roof is designed for military purposes" and that the roof would stand higher than any other building nearby, offering a 360-degree view of Washington.

"Because this facility is designed to serve as a DronePort, it will protect all of Washington from the rooftop," he added.