Trump Gets an Unpleasant Surprise: Court Intervenes in His Big Project

A U.S. federal appeals court has ordered the Trump administration to halt construction of the new White House ballroom, costing about $400 million. The judges ruled that the president cannot undertake a large-scale renovation without Congress's approval. The decision was made by a 2:1 majority. The project involves building a ballroom of about 8,300 square meters on the site of the demolished East Wing. The lawsuit was filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Work is suspended for 14 days; the administration may appeal to the Supreme Court.

A U.S. federal appeals court has ordered the administration of President Donald Trump to halt construction of the new White House ballroom, which costs about $400 million. The decision was made by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit by a majority vote—two against one. The judges ruled that the president cannot undertake a large-scale renovation of the historic complex without Congress's approval. The project entails building a ballroom of about 8,300 square meters on the site of the demolished East Wing. The lawsuit was filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which opposed the demolition of the East Wing without congressional approval. Earlier, a district court had twice blocked above-ground work while allowing underground work. The administration insisted that the project is privately funded and related to security, but the court was not convinced by these arguments. The ruling suspends above-ground work during the litigation or until Congress approves. The order takes effect after 14 days, during which the administration may appeal to the Supreme Court. Judge Neomi Rao, appointed by Trump, dissented, believing that the courts exceeded their authority. Trump has previously defended the project, explaining the cost increase by a change in plans.