Trump’s $400m White House ballroom construction allowed to continue 'for now' after court ruling
President Donald Trump is facing a lawsuit seeking to stop plans for the East Wing ballroom.
Construction on a proposed White House ballroom can continue, a US appeals court has ruled, as the Trump administration challenges a lower court decision ordering work to stop.
Listen to this article
The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said on Saturday that work on the project could continue temporarily while the legal case moves forward.
President Donald Trump is facing a lawsuit brought in December by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which is seeking to stop plans for the East Wing ballroom.
A three-judge panel ruled 2-1 that the president’s plan for a large neoclassical ballroom can proceed for now, giving the administration time to ask the Supreme Court to intervene over the future of the site.
The decision pauses a ruling made in March by US District Judge Richard Leon, who said construction must stop by 14 April “until Congress authorizes its completion.”
The administration began demolishing the East Wing in October to make way for the new ballroom, which is expected to hold 1,000 guests and estimated to cost up to $400 million.
Mr Trump has defended the project, saying the new space is needed for large events. Last month, he also argued that stopping construction would create national security risks, referring to the existence of a secure bunker beneath the site.
Speaking to reporters on 29 March, Mr Trump said: “The military is building a big complex under the ballroom.”
He added: “The ballroom essentially becomes a shed for what's being built under,” and said the “high-grade bulletproof glass” windows would protect the facility below “from drones and … from any other thing.”
The ballroom project was approved in February by the Commission of Fine Arts, the federal agency responsible for reviewing construction in Washington DC.
A majority of its members were appointed by Mr Trump.
Responding to Saturday’s ruling, Carol Quillen, president and chief executive of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said the group was not concerned about construction continuing for an additional three days.
In a statement, the organisation said it welcomed the court’s swift action and would wait for further clarification from the district court.
Quillen said: “The National Trust remains committed to honoring the historic significance of the White House, advocating for our collective role as stewards, and demonstrating how broad consultation, including with the American people, results in a better overall outcome.”