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By Devan Cole, CNN

(CNN) — A federal judge has again ordered President Donald Trump to pause construction of a massive new ballroom at the White House, rejecting the president’s “disingenuous” bid to circumvent an earlier ruling against the project by claiming that it needed to proceed for national security reasons.

The ruling Thursday from senior US District Judge Richard Leon is the latest episode in a winding legal saga around the controversial ballroom, which the judge said last month was being built unlawfully since Congress hadn’t expressly approved it.

Leon, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, carved out an exception so that crews could continue working on a highly sophisticated bunker being installed under the proposed ballroom. But Trump had contended that the entire project was covered by that loophole since the aboveground structure “advances critical national-security objectives as an integrated whole.”

Leon forcefully rejected that argument in his latest decision, accusing the president of advancing an “incredible, if not disingenuous” reading of his earlier ruling.

“Defendants argue that the entire ballroom construction project, from tip to tail, falls within the safety-and-security exception and therefore may proceed unabated,” he wrote in the 10-page decision. “That is neither a reasonable nor a correct reading of my Order!”

“National security is not a blank check to proceed with otherwise unlawful activity, and belated assertions that the above-ground ballroom is ‘inseparable’ from an array of security features are not an occasion for this Court to reweigh the equities or reconsider the preliminary injunction!” Leon wrote.

The judge reiterated that crews could continue working on the bunker and could proceed with other work “necessary to ensure the safety, security, and structural integrity of the White House” and its grounds. But he made clear that absent congressional approval of the ballroom, no above-ground construction could continue except work to cover and secure the facilities being built underground.

Anticipating a likely appeal of the ruling, Leon delayed implantation of it for one week. But he warned the White House that any above-ground work that happens during that period may need to be reversed depending on how the case plays out.

“I have no desire or intention to be dragooned into the role of construction manager,” Leon wrote, adding that he trusts the president to implement his order in good faith.

This story is breaking and will be updated.

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By Haley Britzky, CNN

(CNN) — Army Secretary Dan Driscoll strongly praised an Army chief who was fired earlier this month by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth but conceded that civilian leadership of the military gets “to pick the leaders that they want.”

“There is no person that has more respect for Gen. (Randy) George and his 42 years of service, his Purple Heart, his wife Patty, their grandkids, their kids. I adore them. And he was an amazing transformational leader,” Driscoll said during a House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing on Thursday. “That being said, the civilian leadership, the design of our system is that they get to pick the leaders that they want, and we execute on those orders.”

Driscoll said he was in North Carolina for his kids’ spring break when he heard George “was asked to put in his resignation paperwork.” When they returned he and his family “drove straight to Gen. George’s house, we walked right in, and we all gave him a hug.”

Hegseth fired George earlier this month alongside two other Army general officers. CNN reported that senior Army leadership was caught off guard and learned of his forced departure at the same time as the rest of the Department of Defense.

CNN has reported that Hegseth and Driscoll have butted heads behind the scenes, as the defense secretary has grown increasingly wary of Driscoll — who is close with Vice President JD Vance — and paranoid that Driscoll would replace him.

“If Driscoll starts getting too prominent, or too favored, it makes it a lot easier politically to just let Hegseth go somehow or find an off-ramp,” one source previously told CNN.

George and Driscoll worked very closely together as the two senior-most Army leaders. George previously worked as the senior military assistant to former Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. And while the role of senior military assistant is apolitical and considered to be given to highly-capable military officers, his proximity to Austin was considered a mark against him by Hegseth and his circle.

Gen. Chris LaNeve, who is now the acting chief of staff of the Army, served as Hegseth’s senior military assistant. Military and Pentagon officials speculated when Hegseth made LaNeve the vice chief of staff that he would ultimately replace George.

Repeatedly during the hearing on Thursday, lawmakers voiced support and admiration for George and his service. Republican Rep. Tom Cole, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said he is a “huge fan” of George.

“I just want the record to reflect how much we regret. I personally regret at least, he’s no longer in active service,” Cole said. “He’s a real loss to us, in my opinion. But again, I’m sure the successor will be equally capable.”

Driscoll said on Thursday that LaNeve — who was sitting next to him — is “a patriotic American too, whose family is multi-generational service.”

“[W]hat I can say about Gen. LaNeve sitting beside me is …. his kids are in, serving now. He served 35 years, has led a lot of our most important formations. And what is so amazing about the United States Army is — and we’ve done calls with all of our leadership over the last week — the United States Army go