Supreme Court Allows Trump to Continue White House Ballroom Construction

The Supreme Court of the United States ruled 5-4 on Monday to allow Donald Trump to continue construction of a 90,000-square-foot ballroom and military complex at the White House. The ruling stayed a previous injunction from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit that had halted the project. The majority concluded that the National Trust for Historic Preservation likely lacks the legal standing to challenge the project in federal court.

The project, which is approximately 65% complete, involved the demolition of the East Wing and includes a secure underground military bunker. While the administration asserts the $400 million project is funded by private donations, reports indicate that hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer funds from the Secret Service were diverted for security enhancements.

Chief Justice John Roberts and the three liberal justices dissented from the majority. Roberts stated that the construction is "likely unlawful," though the court's unsigned order noted that the government is likely to prevail in showing the Trust lacks standing. The National Trust for Historic Preservation had argued that the president bypassed necessary congressional approval for the redesign of federal property.