Trump's Former White House Lawyer Rips President for Turning Building Into 'Combination of a W----house and Las Vegas'

Former White House lawyer Ty Cobb has struck out against Donald Trump, RadarOnline.com can report, slamming the president's remodeling of the Executive Mansion.

The criticism comes after the Supreme Court approved continuing construction on the building's new massive ballroom.

The Court on Monday, August 31, stayed a lower-court injunction that had largely blocked above-ground construction on the ballroom, in a major victory for the president's plans.

Meanwhile, critics like Cobb continue to fight the project, along with other White House redecorations, such as golden statues and opulent nameplates and pictures scattered throughout.

"As somebody who had spent a lot of time in the White House and in or about the grounds, you know, it was a beautiful setting and a historic setting," Cobb told CNN OutFront host Erin Burnett. "And it’s, you know, it’s turning into some combination of a wh--ehouse and Las Vegas at this stage of the game with all the golden paving of it.

"So, it’s tragic what's going on. But sadly, it's going to continue, at least for the time being."

Monday's ruling came down after the National Trust for Historic Preservation sued the Trump administration, challenging the massive redevelopment project after the old East Wing was demolished in late 2025.

The Supreme Court stayed the injunction, finding the Trump administration is likely to succeed in arguing the preservation group lacks legal standing to challenge the project. However, the justices made clear they were not deciding whether Trump's East Wing project itself is legal.

In a surprise move, Chief Justice John Roberts sided with his more liberal court colleagues Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson, while delivering a sharp warning about the legality of the project, declaring in a strongly worded dissent: "That construction is likely unlawful."

Roberts argued federal law prohibits construction on federal park grounds in Washington, D.C., without express authorization from Congress – authority he said lawmakers have not provided for Trump's ballroom.

The chief justice also questioned whether the nearly $2.5million Congress appropriated this fiscal year for White House maintenance and safety could justify using hundreds of millions of dollars in private donations to demolish the East Wing and construct the ballroom.

For now, however, the project can move forward. The Supreme Court's stay will remain in effect while the Trump administration seeks further review, leaving construction free to continue despite the unresolved battle over the ballroom's legality.

Trump has tried to justify his pricey ballroom by insisting it's much more than just a party space – but actually crucial to national security.

According to court documents obtained by Radar, the project is a "highly integrated military complex" extending five stories underground and built using hardened concrete, steel, and rebar.

Officials said the structure includes missile-resistant columns, drone-proof ceilings and roofs, as well as bullet-, ballistic-, and blast-proof glass. But the security measures don't stop there.

The complex will also contain bomb shelters, a state-of-the-art hospital and medical facilities, top-secret military structures and equipment, military-grade ventilation, and protective partitions separating areas throughout the building.

The filing describes the project as, in a major way, a "safe room" for the presidency and continuity of government. Trump announced the East Wing project in July 2025, with construction beginning months later.