Appeals court says Trump needs congressional approval for White House ballroom

A federal appeals court ruled on Friday that the Trump White House cannot construct a new $400 million, 90,000-square-foot ballroom on the White House grounds without congressional approval. The 2-1 decision, written by judges Patricia Millett and Bradley Garcia, stated that the White House is not the President's private property and does not have unilateral authority to demolish and rebuild portions of the Executive Residence.

The judges emphasized that Congress has full constitutional control over federal property and its maintenance and development. The majority noted that there is no express or implied authorization allowing President Trump to construct the ballroom. Each President is a temporary tenant of the White House, and the property is meant for all Presidents and the American people.

Judges Patricia Millett and Bradley Garcia, along with Neomi Rao, who was nominated by President Trump, wrote the majority opinion. Judge Rao, who dissented, argued that the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which sued to block the Trump project, lacked proper legal standing. The appellate court stayed its decision for 14 days to allow the government to appeal.

The decision only applies to the construction of the ballroom during the district court's expeditious litigation and does not necessarily mean that the project cannot be built eventually. The project's funding, largely from private donations, has also come under scrutiny.