In a dramatic twist on Saturday, an appeals court delivered a ruling that temporarily stops construction on Donald Trump’s cherished White House ballroom, a move that has infuriated the former president and primed the stage for yet another Supreme Court showdown over the extent of presidential power.
The US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, which had initially permitted the ballroom project to proceed while deliberating, sided with a lower court’s determination. The verdict concluded that such a significant renovation of the White House necessitates prior approval from Congress.
To provide Trump a window to seek Supreme Court intervention, the appeals court has paused the enforcement of its ruling for a two-week period.
Reacting to the 2-1 decision, the Republican figurehead expressed outrage, branding the judgment as “horrendous, politically motivated, and unlawful.”
Notably, the two judges forming the majority opinion were appointees of Democratic leaders, while the dissenting judge was appointed by Trump himself.
The president vowed in a lengthy social media post to immediately appeal to the Supreme Court.
“This decision, made after much of the work has been done and paid for, is a National Security Threat at the highest level. It is also a National Disgrace,” Trump said in another post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday.
Trump initially touted the construction of the ballroom as being necessary to host galas, but has since repeatedly pointed to the concurrent addition of an underground military bunker and other security features.
East Wing
Under the district judge’s initial order, work was to be allowed to continue only on a limited set of structures, including those that were underground.
“This holding has nothing at all to do with whether the proposed ballroom is desirable, or not, as a matter of policy. This ruling does not even necessarily mean that the Defendants may not ultimately construct the ballroom,” the majority wrote Friday.
“What it does mean is that the Defendants may not do so during the district court’s expeditious litigation without securing Congress’s authorisation, as the Constitution and laws require.”
Trump, who has repeatedly complained that the White House lacks sufficient space for grand galas such as state dinners, unilaterally ordered construction of the massive ballroom.
Work on the project began last year with the sudden demolition of the White House’s entire historic East Wing.
Since then, photos have shown significant work on a basement complex, with some concrete walls rising up above ground.
Trump has insisted that the ballroom will be privately financed, but media reports in June showed that significant taxpayer funds were going to the project, which could cost as much as US$600 million.
While the White House initially cited a US$200 million price tag for the project, it quickly doubled the estimate to $400 million.
The ballroom is just one of Trump’s pet projects to leave his mark on Washington by the time he leaves office in 2029, along with a renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and other parks, as well as the construction of a gigantic arch.
Several of the projects have similarly faced legal challenges, but the ballroom project would be the first to reach the Supreme Court.