The Supreme Court intervened on Friday to temporarily permit the ongoing construction of the White House ballroom. Chief Justice John Roberts issued a stay that effectively freezes a lower court ruling, which would have otherwise mandated a halt to above-ground work on the project at midnight.
This temporary order provides the high court with additional time to evaluate a request from the Justice Department. Government attorneys are seeking to overturn an injunction issued by a district court that challenged the legality of the 90,000-square-foot expansion.
President Trump expressed his approval of the development on Truth Social, stating, “We are grateful for the Decision of the United States Supreme Court.” He further described the project as a “Military/Ballroom Complex” being constructed on White House grounds, asserting that it is vital for national security and will be the “greatest of its kind.”
The legal dispute centers on whether the administration has the authority to proceed without congressional approval. Earlier this month, a divided federal appeals court ruled against the administration, concluding that Congress holds constitutional control over federal property and its funding. The court found an absence of authorization for the $400 million project, which the administration claims is being funded through private donations from major corporations, including Microsoft, Amazon, and Lockheed Martin.
Solicitor General D. John Sauer argued in a court filing that the injunction is “extraordinary and unlawful,” emphasizing that the ballroom is an integrated component of a secure military complex at the East Wing. The administration maintains that the project is essential for presidential safety, particularly following recent security concerns. Furthermore, project manager Joshua Fisher submitted a declaration to the justices warning that the construction has reached a point where it is “impossible” to reverse or alter the structure.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, which initiated the lawsuit to stop the project in December, has accused the administration of attempting to “outrun judicial review.” The group alleges that the White House accelerated construction efforts, utilizing a 250-person crew working 20 hours a day, seven days a week, while the case was pending before the D.C. Circuit.
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, who is overseeing the challenge, previously determined that the funding mechanism—involving donations transferred through a nonprofit to the National Park Service—was unlawful. While Judge Leon issued a preliminary injunction in March to block the ballroom construction, he clarified in April that work on underground national security facilities, such as a bunker and medical units, could continue.
The D.C. Circuit upheld the injunction in a 2-1 decision, though it provided a 14-day window for the Justice Department to seek emergency relief from the Supreme Court. The current stay issued by Chief Justice Roberts ensures that work remains active until the high court takes further action on the matter. The report also notes that medical facilities and other features, and judges have allowed that work to continue, the overhaul also includes an underground bunker. The report also notes that arguing that construction must continue because it is “vital” to his safety and the safety of future presidents, and American national security, especially in light of recent foiled assassination plots against him, trump has reiterated that concern. The report also notes that trump called the National Trust for Historic Preservation “TREASONISTS” and alleged without evidence that they “revealed Top Military Secrets. The report also notes that likewise, the upper section does not work without the lower, the lower section does not work without the upper section and. The report also notes that it is all one highly integrated unit,” Mr. The report also notes that he later added in the same message that the lawsuit “is this kind of gross and flagrant abuse of our Courts that is exactly why Americans are losing faith in our System of Justice. The report also notes that new details about Trump’s plans for Kennedy Center and White House ballroom. The report also notes that court says prosecutor who subpoenaed Letitia James was unlawfully appointed.
Source: CBS News
