ALBAWABA - President Donald Trump is decrying a federal appeals court decision to stop construction of his proposed $400 million White House ballroom, calling the finding a "national disgrace" and announcing his administration's intention to fight the issue to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Trump noted in a post on Truth Social that the court only intervened after much progress had been made on the project, with a big amount of the work completed and paid for. He said the verdict might potentially threaten national security, since the project contains underground security equipment.
The comments came hours after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit directed the administration to stop all above-ground construction, declaring that the project required congressional permission before it can proceed.
The court sided with historic preservation groups that sued over the project, stating that major structural alterations to the White House complex are the responsibility of Congress, not the executive branch.
The judges said the verdict does not permanently halt the ballroom project or decide whether it should ultimately be erected. It stops building, unless Congress approves the development, while the legal proceedings unfold.
The court also put the ruling on hold for 14 days, giving the Trump administration a chance to ask the U.S. Supreme Court for emergency relief.
Trump has argued that the ballroom is a long overdue improvement to the White House, adding space for state parties and official ceremonies, as well as improving security. The administration has also insisted that the project would be funded by private donations, not by taxpayers' money.
The legal struggle is likely to go on in coming weeks as the administration prepares its appeal, setting up a potential showdown at the Supreme Court over presidential authority and the future of one of Trump’s flagship White House restoration projects.
