Supreme Court Lets Trump Continue White House Ballroom Work for Now

The US Supreme Court has allowed President Donald Trump’s administration to continue construction of his White House ballroom project for now, temporarily pausing a judicial order that would have halted much of the development.

 

The court’s action, known as an administrative stay, gives the justices additional time to consider the administration’s formal request to allow work to continue on the $400 million ballroom while a lawsuit brought by a historic preservation group seeking to stop the project proceeds.

 

The stay was issued by Chief Justice John Roberts, who handles emergency applications arising in Washington, DC.

 

In an August 14 filing with the Supreme Court, Justice Department lawyers echoed Trump’s contention that the project is a national security necessity, citing assassination attempts against the president and other recent threats.

 

“This case involves an extraordinary and unlawful injunction that will halt the ongoing construction of the integrated military complex, including a totally secure ballroom space, at the East Wing of the White House, which is vitally required by national security,” they wrote.

 

Trump welcomed the court’s action on Friday. “We are grateful for the Decision of the United States Supreme Court,” Trump wrote in a social media post. “The Military/Ballroom Complex being built on the hallowed grounds of the White House, which is so vital for National Security, will be THE GREATEST OF ITS KIND!”

 

The non-profit National Trust for Historic Preservation sued last year after the administration demolished the White House East Wing and began constructing a 90,000-square-foot (8,360-square-metre) ballroom without seeking specific approval from Congress.

 

After the Supreme Court acted on Friday, a spokesperson for the National Trust for Historic Preservation said: “To be clear, this is not a final decision on the merits of the government’s stay application, and we await further action.”

 

The project combines the above-ground ballroom with an extensive underground complex. Trump has said the project includes bomb shelters, medical facilities, protection against drones and missiles, and other security features that are “all tied together as one big, expensive and very complex unit”.

 

On August 7, the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, in a 2-1 ruling, upheld US District Judge Richard Leon’s order directing the administration to halt above-ground construction. The order had been set to take effect on Friday.

 

‘A Temporary Tenant’

 

“Each President is a temporary tenant, not the owner, of the White House,” the DC Circuit’s ruling stated, adding that a president cannot fundamentally reshape the building without congressional approval.

 

The district judge’s order did not permanently bar construction of a ballroom. It blocked above-ground work while allowing below-ground construction to continue, as well as work deemed “strictly necessary” for the safety and security of the White House.

 

In its ruling, the DC Circuit said national security arguments “are not an automatic get-out-of-law-free card”.

 

The Justice Department said in its August 14 filing that the overall East Wing project, including both the underground facilities and the above-ground ballroom, is 65% complete.

 

Trump has described the ballroom project as a security necessity and referred to the structure as a “military centre” in a post on Truth Social. He called the DC Circuit’s decision “horrendous” and politically motivated, arguing that it left him, other White House officials and visitors exposed to attack. “This unjust decision must be overturned by the Supreme Court in its entirety,” Trump wrote.

 

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, in court papers, urged the justices to reject the administration’s bid to continue ballroom construction while the litigation proceeds.

 

“Each court to examine the question has agreed that the Trump administration has no unilateral legal authority — constitutional, statutory or otherwise — to build a massive ballroom on the site of the now-demolished East Wing,” lawyers for the group wrote.

 

“And each court has told the administration in no uncertain terms that it must stop its illegal construction unless and until it receives express approval from Congress,” they wrote.

 

The project is part of Trump’s broader efforts to reshape the Washington landscape, including plans to build a 250-foot (76-metre) arch and revamp the Kennedy Centre, a cultural landmark and performance venue.

 

The demolished East Wing housed the first lady’s offices and the White House cinema. It was originally built in 1902 during Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency and greatly expanded in 1942 during Franklin Roosevelt’s presidency.

 

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