US appeals court halts White House ballroom construction, Trump to appeal

Washington, United States. A US federal appeals court on Friday ordered President Donald Trump’s administration to stop construction of a $400 million ballroom at the site of the demolished White House East Wing. Trump said he would immediately appeal the ruling to the US Supreme Court.

Court ruling

The Washington-based US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld a preliminary injunction secured by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

In a 2-1 opinion, the court said that “each President is a temporary tenant, not the owner, of the White House” and cannot fundamentally reshape the building without congressional approval.

The panel said the administration had begun construction of a 90,000-square-foot, or 8,360-square-metre, ballroom after demolishing the East Wing without seeking authorisation from Congress.

“Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help,” the majority wrote. “Congress has not ceded unfettered authority to the Executive Branch to dramatically redesign, reshape, and reconstruct the White House – the People’s House – to fit a particular President’s desires.”

Planned appeal

The appeals court placed its ruling on hold for 14 days to allow the Trump administration to appeal to the Supreme Court.

Trump said in a social media post that the decision had been stayed and would not take effect for a period of time.

“We will be immediately appealing to the United States Supreme Court,” he wrote. “This unjust decision must be overturned by the Supreme Court in its entirety.”

The White House and Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Earlier injunctions

National Trust president Brent Leggs said the ruling marked “a great day for our country and for the American people’s right to voice their opinions about the historic places they cherish, including the White House.”

Trump appealed after US District Judge Richard Leon, appointed by former Republican President George W. Bush, twice blocked above-ground construction at the site while allowing underground work to continue.