Supreme Court allows Trump’s White House ballroom project to continue

Chief Justice John Roberts of the U.S. Supreme Court has issued a temporary order allowing construction to continue on President Donald Trump’s controversial $400 million ballroom project at the White House. The order stays a lower court’s mandate that had halted aboveground work due to a lack of congressional approval.

The project, which involves the demolition of parts of the historic East Wing to make room for a massive, high-security event space, has faced intense legal challenges. Preservation groups, including the National Trust for Historic Preservation, argue that the president lacks the unilateral authority to raze or replace core national structures without explicit permission from Congress, which holds plenary control over federal property.

The Trump administration has defended the project by framing it as a matter of national security, claiming the new facility will be resistant to drones, bullets, and missiles. While the Supreme Court’s one-page order permits work to proceed for now, it does not provide a final ruling on the underlying legal dispute regarding presidential authority versus congressional oversight.