Trump DOJ Claims Alleged UFC ‘Assassination’ Plot Justifies Building His Ballroom

BreakingBusinessTrump DOJ Claims Alleged UFC ‘Assassination’ Plot Justifies Building His BallroomByAlison Durkee,Forbes Staff. Alison is a senior news reporter covering US politics and legal news.Follow AuthorJun 17, 2026, 12:20pm EDTToplineThe Trump administration told a federal appeals court Tuesday that an alleged effort to attack the UFC event at the White House proves why the government should be allowed to build a new White House ballroom, as the court weighs whether to halt construction of the controversial structure.UFC fights take place on the South Lawn of the White House on June 14 in Washington, DC. Getty ImagesKey FactsA federal appeals court is now deliberating on whether the Trump administration has the authority to build President Donald Trump’s planned ballroom at the White House, after a lower court ruled the structure can’t be built without congressional approval.The Trump administration filed a letter with the court Tuesday, after the FBI announced earlier in the day it had charged five people with attempting to carry out an attack at the White House’s UFC fight over the weekend.The defendants allegedly intended to deploy drones with explosives “in and around” the UFC event in order to force an evacuation, and then target “high value” officials at the event using snipers, according to the FBI.In the letter, the Justice Department alleged building a White House ballroom could ward off such “assassination” attempts in the future, claiming the structure’s “mass and height will shield the White House grounds from attack, and give the Secret Service the visibility needed to identify attackers.”The Trump administration alleged the ballroom would include “critical strategic features” that would help defend against attacks, such as a drone proof roof, bulletproof windows and a rooftop outfitted with a drone port and sniper nests. The filing echoes similar arguments the Trump administration made after the attack at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner—w...