A federal appeals court on Saturday in a 2-1 ruling said President Trump can continue the construction on the White House ballroom… for now.

The appeals court judges sent the case back down to the US District Court judge who previously halted the construction on the ballroom.

The White House argued that the construction on the ballroom must continue for national security and safety reasons.

The construction can continue until at least April 17, the appeals court judges ruled.

Late last month, a federal judge ordered the privately funded Trump White House ballroom construction project to be halted.

US District Judge Richard Leon, a George W. Bush appointee, temporarily halted construction on the ballroom.

The judge said Congress has to approve the construction project.

President Trump responded to the judge’s ruling last month:

“In the Ballroom case, the Judge said we have to get Congressional approval. He is WRONG! Congressional approval has never been given on anything, in these circumstances, big or small, having to do with construction at the White House. In this case, even less so, because the Ballroom is being built with Private Donations, no Federal Taxpayer Money!” Trump said in a Truth Social post.

Last summer, the Trump Administration announced a White House Ballroom construction project:

For 150 years, Presidents, Administrations, and White House Staff have longed for a large event space on the White House complex that can hold substantially more guests than currently allowed. President Donald J. Trump has expressed his commitment to solving this problem on behalf of future Administrations and the American people.

The White House is one of the most beautiful and historic buildings in the world, yet the White House is currently unable to host major functions honoring world leaders and other countries without having to install a large and unsightly tent approximately 100 yards away from the main building entrance. The White House State Ballroom will be a much-needed and exquisite addition of approximately 90,000 total square feet of ornately designed and carefully crafted space, with a seated capacity of 650 people — a significant increase from the 200-person seated capacity in the East Room of the White House.

In recent weeks, President Trump has held several meetings with members of the White House Staff, the National Park Service, the White House Military Office, and the United States Secret Service to discuss design features and planning.

President Trump has chosen McCrery Architects as lead architect, which is well-known for their classical architectural design and based in our nation’s capital. CEO Jim McCrery said: “Presidents in the modern era have faced challenges hosting major events at the White House because it has been untouched since President Harry Truman. I am honored that President Trump has entrusted me to help bring this beautiful and necessary renovation to The People’s House, while preserving the elegance of its classical design and historical importance.”

The construction team will be headed by Clark Construction, and the engineering team will be led by AECOM.

The project will begin in September 2025, and it is expected to be completed long before the end of President Trump’s term.

President Trump, and other patriot donors, have generously committed to donating the funds necessary to build this approximately $200 million dollar structure. The United States Secret Service will provide the necessary security enhancements and modifications.

The White House Ballroom will be substantially separated from the main building of the White House, but at the same time, it’s theme and architectural heritage will be almost identical. The site of the new ballroom will be where the small, heavily changed, and reconstructed East Wing currently sits. The East Wing was constructed in 1902 and has been renovated and changed many times, with a second story added in 1942.

The White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles said the following: “President Trump is a builder at heart and has an extraordinary eye for detail. The President and the Trump White House are fully committed to working with the appropriate organizations to preserving the special history of the White House while building a beautiful ballroom that can be enjoyed by future Administrations and generations of Americans to come.”

The post Appeals Court Allows Trump to Continue Construction on White House Ballroom… For Now appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

A 28-year-old man from Rancho Cucamonga was arrested Friday morning after he allegedly set multiple intentional fires inside the busy Ontario Mills Mall in Ontario, California, forcing a full evacuation and temporary closure of the shopping center.

The crazy scene was captured on video by witnesses.

Ontario Police officers responded around 10:30 a.m. on Friday to reports of a suspicious male carrying a lighter and a backpack who was intentionally igniting fires inside the mall.

Callers described the suspect actively setting blazes in several stores, including the True Religion outlet and Nordstrom Rack.

Officers quickly located the suspect, identified as Luis Javier Gallegos Jr., inside the True Religion store.

Footage shared on social media shows flames burning in the store as police confront and take Gallegos into custody after he failed to comply with commands.

WATCH:

Suspect was caught on camera setting fires in multiple spots before Ontario PD officers took him down in the Mills Mall, inside a True Religion store in California.

Crazy place to choose.pic.twitter.com/XrstriAKh5

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) April 11, 2026

According to a press release from the Ontario Police Department, “One officer received non-life-threatening injuries during the incident and was later treated and released from a local medical center. ”

Gallegos was also injured and was transported to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment.

After medical clearance, Gallegos was booked into the West Valley Detention Center on an arson-related felony charge.

Explosive detection K-9 teams swept the mall as a precaution, but no additional threats were found.

Fire crews extinguished the fires with no reported injuries to shoppers or mall employees.

The mall remained closed for the rest of the day.

No motive has been released by authorities, and the investigation remains ongoing.

This incident comes days after a separate large warehouse fire in Ontario that led to arson charges against another suspect, though police have not linked the two cases.

The post WATCH: Dramatic Video Shows Suspect Setting Multiple Fires Inside Ontario Mills Mall in California Before Cops Take Him Down Inside True Religion Store appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

The prolonged absence of Mojtaba leaves room for different rumors.

Ever since the start of the military confrontation between the US and Israel against Iran, a mystery surrounds the situation regarding the new Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.

In his absence, a flurry of rumors and reports is going around saying that he is dead, or else very gravely wounded; he is also said to be gay and disowned by his late father.

Today, a new report arises that Mojtaba is ‘recovering from severe facial and leg injuries’ that he suffered in the airstrike that killed his father, sources in his inner circle told Reuters.

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was seriously injured in the airstrike that killed his father.

He reportedly suffered severe facial injuries and possible leg loss, leaving him disfigured, but is said to be mentally sharp and still involved in decisions via remote… pic.twitter.com/pTPVvHXhGB

— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 11, 2026

Reuters reported:

“Khamenei’s face was disfigured in the attack on the supreme leader’s compound in central Tehran and he suffered a significant injury to one or both legs, all three sources said.

The 56-year-old is nonetheless recovering from his wounds and remains mentally sharp, according to the people, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. He is taking part in meetings with senior officials via audio conferencing and is engaged in decision-making on major issues including the war and negotiations with Washington, two of them said.”

Iranian Islamic propaganda channels are circulating an AI-generated video claiming to show Mojtaba Khamenei entering a command room and overseeing operations in what is presented as his first public appearance.

The footage displays Israel’s Dimona Nuclear Reactor, ending with a… pic.twitter.com/dF4LF6yUy4

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) April 7, 2026

The New York Post reported:

“The question of whether Khamenei’s health allows him to run state affairs comes during Iran’s moment of gravest peril for decades, with high-stakes peace talks with the United States opening in the Pakistani capital Islamabad on Saturday.

[…] Khamenei’s whereabouts, condition and ability to rule still largely remain a mystery to the public, with no photo, video or audio recording of him published since the air attack and his subsequent appointment as his ​father’s replacement on March 8.

[…] Mojtaba Khamenei’s wife, brother-in-law ⁠and sister-in-law were among other members of his family killed in the strike.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran’s new leader Mojtaba Khamenei has been wounded as part of the US and Israeli campaign against the country.

“We know the new so-called, not-so-supreme leader is wounded and likely disfigured,” he said Friday https://t.co/b2fYt8Nsfn pic.twitter.com/FGAs1rEWUu

— Bloomberg (@business) March 13, 2026

Read more: MOJTABA KHAMENEI MYSTERY: Iran’s New Supreme Leader, Rumored Dead or Wounded in Airstrike, Now Reportedly Taken to Moscow for Surgery

The post Iran’s New Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei Reportedly Left Crippled and Disfigured by Airstrike That Killed His Father appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama, 62, took to her podcast this week to trash-talk America under President Donald Trump, calling the country “janky,” while weirdly sporting a pair of childish pigtails.

In the latest episode of her “IMO” podcast, co-hosted with her brother Craig Robinson, Obama sat down with comedian Hasan Minhaj and declared that the United States is currently living through a “janky” 2.0 version of itself under Trump.

“That’s the 2.0 of life, and when we talk about how do you feel about the country? You know, there are versions of the country that happen, right? And the new version doesn’t make the old one bad. It’s necessary for growth. And I think we’re in just a janky version,” Obama declared.

“Sh-t is jank right now. It’s super jank,” Minhaj replied.

WATCH:

Michelle Obama says the U.S. is a “janky version” right now under Trump.

Guess that’s one way to sum it up.pic.twitter.com/X2wIlCAdrZ https://t.co/gRkIFliCqy

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) April 10, 2026

Obama tried to spin the “janky” current state as some sort of necessary growing pain, praising what she called “powerful” community resistance to Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minnesota, which included riots and two agitators being shot while trying to impede agents.

The former first lady seemed to suggest that these clashes were a healthy sign of the country’s “growth.”

“Right now, I’m kind of digging the way folks are beginning to respond, right? I mean, Minnesota, powerful stuff. I mean it was a powerful reminder of what a community of people can do and are willing to do to protect one another,” Obama said.

Americans were “taking things for granted,” Obama claimed.

“When you’re not so janky, you don’t have to prove that, right? And so we haven’t been this janky for a while,” Obama said. “And I think our muscle of understanding our truth just got a little lax. We started taking things for granted, right.”

WATCH THE FULL EPISODE HERE:

While the former first family lectures and complains about ICE from her luxury bubble, everyday Americans are happy to see record-low illegal border crossings.

The post WATCH: 62-Year-Old Michelle Obama Says America is in a ‘Janky’ Era Under Trump, While Wearing Her Hair in Pigtails appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

The former staffer who says Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell raped her sat down with CNN and recounted some of the horrific details of the alleged rape.

As TGP reported on Friday, The San Francisco Chronicle published a story about a woman who claimed that Democrat Eric Swalwell sexually assaulted her twice.

The woman, who worked as a staffer in Swalwell’s office for two years, told The San Francisco Chronicle that Swalwell began pursuing her just weeks after she was hired at the age of 21 in 2019.

“A woman who worked for nearly two years for Rep. Eric Swalwell, a leading candidate for California governor, said she had sexual encounters with him while he was her boss and alleged he twice sexually assaulted her when she was too intoxicated to consent,” the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

After The San Francisco Chronicle dropped their bombshell report on Swalwell, three additional women spoke to CNN and provided evidence about alleged additional misconduct by the California Democrat.

The Swalwell staffer said she was sexually assaulted by Swalwell in 2019

The staffer also said Swalwell raped her years later in 2024 after she left his employment.

The unidentified former female staffer sat down with CNN and recounted some of the horrific details about the alleged rape that occurred in 2024.

“I went to the bathroom, and I don’t remember anything after that,” she said, adding that she “remembered the next day.”

“I can see flashes of that evening of him on top of me, me pushing him off, him grabbing me. It was a lot more aggressive. It was aggressive,” she said about the 2024 assault.

“Did you say no?” CNN asked the alleged victim.

“Yes. I said no,” she recounted. “In my flash that I can recall, I was pushing him off saying no.”

“And what did he do?” CNN asked the victim.

“He didn’t stop. He didn’t stop. I woke up the next morning naked, alone in his hotel. I, for a moment, didn’t even know that I was in his hotel room. That’s how intoxicated I was,” she said.

CNN said they corroborated the woman’s claims by speaking with friends and family that she confided in. CNN also reviewed photos and screenshots of contemporaneous text messages. The outlet reviewed a message from her medical provider the week after she received the pregnancy and STD test calling her a “survivor.”

WATCH:

Swalwell denied the allegations in a written statement earlier Friday.

Swalwell’s lawyers also intimidated the alleged sexual assault victim and sent her a cease-and-desist letter, accusing her of making false statements.

Late Friday night Swalwell released a desperate and unhinged video denying the sexual assault allegations against him which prompted high-profile Democrats to withdraw endorsements.

High-profile California Democrats like Adam Schiff and Nancy Pelosi turned on Swalwell and called for him to drop out of the gubernatorial race.

Schiff withdrew his endorsement of Swalwell and called on him to drop out of California’s gubernatorial race.

The post Swalwell Sexual Assault Victim Sits Down with CNN, Recounts Horrific Details of Alleged Rape (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.