US appeals court blocks Trump’s US$400 million White House ballroom project

A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. recently halted construction on a $400 million White House ballroom project initiated by President Donald Trump. The ruling, issued on August 7, was a victory for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which had challenged the administration's decision to proceed without congressional authorization.

The court's decision, delivered in a 2-1 ruling, came after the Trump administration appealed a previous injunction issued by District of Columbia Circuit Judge Richard Leon, who had previously ruled that no federal statute granted the president the authority to build the ballroom without proper congressional approval. The Trump administration plans to appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The $400 million ballroom project is the largest of several Trump initiatives aimed at altering the layout of central Washington's government buildings and national monuments.