A US appeals court on Friday upheld an order halting work on President Donald Trump’s proposed White House ballroom, angering the president and setting up another Supreme Court battle over the limits of presidential authority.
The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which had allowed construction to continue while it considered the case, agreed with a lower court that such a major alteration to the White House complex required explicit congressional approval.
The court stayed its ruling for two weeks to allow Trump to seek intervention from the Supreme Court.
Trump lashed out after the 2-1 ruling, describing it as “horrendous, politically motivated, and unlawful.”
The two judges in the majority were appointed by Democratic presidents, while the dissenting judge was nominated by Trump.
The president vowed in a lengthy social media post to immediately appeal to the Supreme Court.
“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 promoted the ballroom as a venue for state dinners and other White House events, but has increasingly pointed to the project’s security features, including an underground military bunker.
East wing demolished
Under the district court’s initial order, work could continue only on a limited number of structures, including underground construction.
Friday’s appeals court ruling stressed that the case was not about whether the ballroom was desirable as a matter of policy.
“This holding has nothing at all to do with whether the proposed ballroom is desirable, or not, as a matter of policy,” the majority wrote. “This ruling does not even necessarily mean that the Defendants may not ultimately construct the ballroom.”
“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, who has repeatedly complained that the White House lacks sufficient space to host large events such as state dinners, ordered construction of the ballroom without congressional approval.
Work began last year with the demolition of the White House’s historic East Wing.
Since then, photographs have shown extensive work on an underground complex, with some concrete walls rising above ground level.
Trump has maintained that the ballroom would be privately financed. However, media reports in June indicated that significant taxpayer funds were being directed toward the project, which could ultimately cost as much as $600 million.
The White House initially put the cost at $200 million before quickly doubling its estimate to $400 million.
The ballroom is among several projects Trump has pursued as part of his effort to leave a lasting mark on Washington before his term ends in 2029. Others include renovations to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and other parks, as well as plans for a large arch.
Several of those projects have also faced legal challenges, but the White House ballroom dispute would be the first of them to reach the Supreme Court.
AFP
