Appeals court upholds halt on Trump’s White House ballroom project, prompting Trump to vow Supreme Court appeal.
WASHINGTON: An appeals court on Friday upheld an order halting work on Donald Trump’s prized White House ballroom, enraging the US leader and setting up another Supreme Court battle over the limits of presidential authority.
The US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, which had allowed construction to continue while it considered the case, agreed with a lower court that such a massive White House overhaul required the explicit consent of Congress. It stayed its own decision for two weeks to give Trump time to ask the Supreme Court to intervene.
The Republican president lashed out after the 2-1 ruling, calling it “horrendous, politically motivated, and unlawful.” The two judges in the majority were appointed by Democratic presidents, while the dissenter was nominated by Trump himself.
“This decision, made after much of the work has been done and paid for, is a National Security Threat at the highest level. It is also a National Disgrace,” Trump said in another post on his Truth Social platform Friday night.
Trump initially touted the construction of the ballroom as necessary to host galas, but has since repeatedly pointed to the concurrent addition of an underground military bunker and other security features.
“This holding has nothing at all to do with whether the proposed ballroom is desirable, or not, as a matter of policy. This ruling does not even necessarily mean that the Defendants may not ultimately construct the ballroom,” the majority wrote Friday. “What it does mean is that the Defendants may not do so during the district court’s expeditious litigation without securing Congress’s authorization, as the Constitution and laws require.”
Trump unilaterally ordered construction of the massive ballroom, complaining that the White House lacks sufficient space for grand galas. Work began last year with the sudden demolition of the historic East Wing. Photos have shown significant work on a basement complex, with some concrete walls rising above ground.
Trump has insisted the ballroom will be privately financed, but media reports in June showed significant taxpayer funds were going to the project, which could cost as much as $600 million. The White House initially cited a $200 million price tag but quickly doubled the estimate to $400 million.
The ballroom is one of Trump’s pet projects to leave his mark on Washington before he leaves office in 2029, along with a renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and a gigantic arch. Several projects have faced legal challenges, but the ballroom would be the first to reach the Supreme Court.
