Chief Justice John Roberts applauded for his dissent on Trump ballroom decision

• Chief Justice John Roberts has been praised for his dissent in a ruling over President Donald Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom complex.
• In a 5-4 decision on Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed Trump to continue with construction, blocking a lower court order that had temporarily halted above-ground building. Five conservative justices ruled that the plaintiff, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, lacked legal standing to sue and that halting construction would cause the government irreparable harm given national security features integrated into the complex.
• Roberts dissented, alongside the court's three liberal justices, writing that the construction is likely unlawful because Congress holds constitutional authority over federal property in Washington, D.C., and never authorized the project. “Today’s decision is no victory for the separation of powers,” Roberts wrote in his dissent.
• "The ballroom is a building or structure being erected on federal park grounds — President's Park — in the District of Columbia. Yet Congress has not passed any law resembling 'express authority' for the Executive's construction of it," he continued.
• National Trust President Brent Leggs said the group was disappointed by the decision but pleased with Roberts’ dissent. “This is not the final decision on the merits of our case and does not resolve our fundamental argument — that each President is a temporary steward of the People’s House and does not have the unilateral authority to demolish and redesign it without the approval of Congress,” Leggs said in a statement.

IN FULL

Trump’s ballroom construction ‘likely unlawful,’ John Roberts says, but Supreme Court will allow it anyway