A U.S. federal judge on Tuesday ordered the Trump administration to suspend construction of a US$400 million ballroom project at the White House, ruling that work must cease unless Congress grants explicit statutory authorization for the project.
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, a Republican appointee of former President George W. Bush, granted a preliminary injunction requested by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The nonprofit organization had sued, arguing that President Trump exceeded his authority when he demolished the historic East Wing and initiated construction.
"The President of the United States is the steward of the White House for future generations of First Families. He is not, however, the owner!" Judge Leon wrote in his memorandum opinion.
The judge emphasized that unless and until "Congress blesses this project through statutory authorization, construction has to stop!" He concluded that "no statute comes close to giving the President the authority he claims to have".
The ruling temporarily halts one of Trump's most visible efforts to reshape the White House's iconic architecture. The project, unveiled last summer, involves building a 90,000-square-foot ballroom on the site where the East Wing once stood. Originally constructed in 1902 and expanded during Franklin Roosevelt's presidency, the East Wing was demolished in October to make way for the new structure.
The judge suspended enforcement of his order for 14 days, acknowledging that the case "raises novel and weighty issues" and recognizing that the administration is likely to appeal. The ruling allows any construction work necessary to ensure White House safety and security to continue.
The Justice Department filed an appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit within hours of the ruling.
Trump responded on his social media platform shortly after the decision, criticizing the National Trust for Historic Preservation as "a Radical Left Group of Lunatics". He defended the ballroom project, stating it was "under budget, ahead of schedule, being built at no cost to the Taxpayer, and will be the finest Building of its kind anywhere in the World".
The White House has said the project is funded entirely by private donations. Trump proceeded with the project without seeking input from federal review panels—the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts—both of which the president has stocked with allies.
The National Trust originally sued Trump and several federal agencies in December, arguing that neither the president nor the National Park Service had authority to demolish the historic structure or erect a major new facility without congressional approval.
(Source: Xinhua, Reuters, and Associated Press)
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