US supreme court allows Trump’s White House ballroom construction to continue
A divided US supreme court has allowed the White House to continue construction on a 400 million US dollars (£295 million) ballroom project as lawsuits play out, a win for American President Donald Trump.
The apparent 5-4 decision replaces a temporary order issued earlier this month, shortly before a court-ordered halt would have gone into effect.
The temporary order was signed by chief justice John Roberts, assigned to handle appeals from the capital.
But he publicly disagreed with the latest decision, writing a strong dissent that referenced historical figures and called the project “likely unlawful” because it has not been approved by Congress.
“Today’s decision is no victory for the separation of powers,” Justice Roberts wrote.
The court’s three liberal-leaning justices agreed.
The majority did not decide the legality of the project, but found a preservation group likely did not have the legal right to challenge it.
The unsigned opinion also cited the national security concerns that the government says the project would address.
The lawsuit will return to lower courts, but documents say that key portions of the project could be complete within months — a quick timeline compared with a typical legal case.
The Trump administration asked the justices to intervene after federal courts found the project must halt because it did not have congressional approval.
The lawsuit from the National Trust for Historic Preservation argued that Mr Trump has no unilateral authority to undertake the work, which has included demolishing the East Wing.
The group’s lawyers accused the White House of trying to “outrun the courts” by accelerating construction.
In lower courts, the administration has argued that the president has total authority to renovate the White House and other federal buildings.
Government lawyers said the ballroom project must be completed because of national security concerns, although these were not an initial focus when Mr Trump announced the work he said would be funded by private donations.
The administration has said crews are working 20 hours a day on the planned 90,000-square-foot (8,400-square-metre) ballroom.
The framework is expected to be completed in November and much of the facade done by April, with full completion slated for August 2028, according to court documents.
US district judge Richard Leon ordered a stop to aboveground construction of the planned ballroom in April, although the order would allow work on bunkers and military installations below ground to continue.
The ruling was suspended but later upheld by a divided appeals court panel.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
