Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom project put on hold — ‘Not ceded unfettered to fit President’s desires…’

A US federal appeals court has halted the construction of a $400 million ballroom at the site of the White House's demolished East Wing, ruling that Congress, not the executive branch, holds the authority to authorize such a massive redesign of the historic building. The decision comes after the National Trust for Historic Preservation sued the Trump administration for tearing down the East Wing and beginning construction of the ballroom without seeking congressional approval.

The court's majority wrote that the decision to construct the ballroom is a matter for Congress, not the executive branch, and placed the ruling on hold for 14 days to allow the administration to appeal to the US Supreme Court.