WASHINGTON — The Justice Department on Monday asked a federal court to dismiss the National Trust for Historic Preservation's lawsuit over the planned $400 million White House ballroom, citing a shooting at a media gala two days earlier. The 16-page filing was signed by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and submitted by Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward.

The shooting occurred Saturday at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers renewed their support for the ballroom project after the incident, arguing that it demonstrated the need for a secure facility for large events.

The filing includes erratic capitalization, exclamation points, non sequiturs, rhetorical questions, praise for the president and accusations that opponents are insane. In it, the Justice Department wrote that the lawsuit "greatly endangers the lives of all Presidents, current and future." The filing described Trust attorney Gregory Craig as "the lawyer for Barack Hussein Obama" and included the passage: "because it is DONALD J. TRUMP, a highly successful real estate developer, who has abilities that others don't, especially those who assume the Office of President, this frivolous and meritless lawsuit was filed. Again, it's called TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME."

The Justice Department had asked the Trust to withdraw its lawsuit, but the Trust declined. Trump shared the filing on social media Tuesday morning, posting screenshots of each of the 16 pages without comment.

"What Saturday's awful event does not change is that the Constitution and multiple federal statutes require Congress to authorize construction of a ballroom on White House grounds, and that Congress has not done so," Craig said.

The Trust sued in December after the White House demolished the East Wing to make room for the ballroom. The Trust argues that the project proceeded without approval from Congress and key federal agencies and that Trump overstepped his authority. Trump has said the ballroom would fit 999 people and is funded by private donations, though public funds are paying for security upgrades and an underground bunker.

The White House did not deny that Trump had a role in drafting or editing the Justice Department's legal arguments. "President Trump is intimately involved in the ongoing disgraceful lawsuit brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and is working diligently with his team of lawyers to bring this charade to an end," White House spokesman Davis Ingle said.