Trump’s White House ballroom project blocked by appeals court
A federal appeals court has blocked the Trump administration from continuing construction on a $400 million White House ballroom project. The court ruled that the President lacks the authority to fundamentally alter the White House without congressional approval.
Why it matters
This ruling serves as a significant check on executive power, reinforcing the principle that the President does not have unilateral authority over federal property and historic sites.
A U.S. federal appeals court ordered President Donald Trump's administration on Friday to stop construction on a $400 million ballroom on the site of the White House's demolished East Wing , dealing the Republican leader a major setback in a case testing his presidential authority.
"Each President is a temporary tenant, not the owner, of the White House ," and cannot fundamentally reshape it without congressional approval, the Washington-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said in a 2-1 opinion.
The order upheld a preliminary injunction won by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which sued last year after the administration tore down the East Wing and began building a 90,000-square-foot (8,360-square-meter) ballroom without seeking authorization from Congress.
"Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help," the panel's majority wrote.
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