US Supreme Court clears way for Trump to keep building White House ballroom

The US Supreme Court has ruled in favor of President Donald Trump, allowing the construction of a $400m ballroom at the White House to proceed. In a 5-4 decision, the justices granted the Trump administration's emergency request, blocking prior lower court orders that would have halted the project. The National Trust for Historic Preservation challenged the construction, contending that President Trump lacked the authority to move forward without congressional approval.

The historic East Wing was demolished last autumn to begin building the ballroom. On Friday, Chief Justice John Roberts issued a temporary stay, permitting the ballroom project to continue while the court deliberated on the lawsuit seeking to halt it entirely. On Monday, Roberts joined the three liberal dissenters to argue that construction is likely unlawful.

They contended that Congress had expressly prohibited construction of any building on federal grounds in the capital without congressional authority. The majority decision noted that the Trump administration was likely to succeed in arguing that it would suffer irreparable harm without a stay, and that the balance of equities tipped in its favor.

The government is expected to prevail in demonstrating that the National Trust lacks standing to challenge the project. President Trump has emphasized the need for a larger events space and increased security for the White House.