Supreme Court says Trump can build White House ballroom as lawsuit continues

The Supreme Court permitted the continuation of the White House's $400 million ballroom construction project on Monday, a victory for President Donald Trump who is utilizing his executive authority to transform the capital. This decision overrules a temporary order that had been issued a month ago. Chief Justice John Roberts, who was assigned to handle the appeals from the capital, did not agree with the latest decision but penned a strong dissent.

Roberts characterized the project as potentially unlawful due to lack of congressional approval. The court's three liberal-leaning justices concur with this view. The majority did not address the project's legality but determined that a preservation group did not have the lawful right to challenge it. The court also referenced national security concerns that the government claims the project would address.

The lawsuit will return to lower courts, but key portions of the project could be finished within months. The White House requested the justices to step in after federal courts halted the project due to the absence of congressional approval. The lawsuit argued by the National Trust for Historic Preservation claimed that Trump lacks unilateral authority to carry out the work, which has included tearing down the East Wing.

The group's lawyers accused the White House of attempting to 'outrun the courts' by speeding up construction. The administration countered that the president has full authority to renovate the White House and other federal buildings, and that the project must be completed due to national security concerns. The framework of the planned 90,000-square-foot ballroom is scheduled to be completed by November, while most of the facade should be done by April, with full completion anticipated for August 2028.

A U.S. District Judge had ordered a halt to construction above ground in April, but the order permitted work on bunkers and military installations below ground to proceed.