The US Supreme Court on Friday allowed President Donald Trump to continue building his massive White House ballroom for now.
The Trump administration asked the conservative-dominated Supreme Court last week to allow it to complete construction of the ballroom and secure underground bunker at the White House, saying the project was essential for national security. A district court ordered a halt to most work at the site, but that order had been stayed while on appeal. The appellate court recently upheld the lower judge’s order, agreeing that such a sweeping White House overhaul required the explicit consent of Congress, but gave the administration some time to appeal to the Supreme Court. John Sauer, the solicitor general, in the appeal to the Supreme Court, also emphasized the national security aspects of the project and argued that the president has the authority to make changes to the White House. Several of the projects have similarly faced legal challenges, but the ballroom project is the first to reach the Supreme Court.
Trump ordered the demolition of the entire historic East Wing of the White House last year — without input from Congress — to make way for his long-desired ballroom, but the project was quickly challenged in court. Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily lifted a lower court ruling that had demanded a halt to construction of the ballroom by midnight on Friday.
