Appeals court says Trump is unlawfully constructing White House ballroom

(CNN) — A divided federal appeals court ruled Friday that President Donald Trump is unlawfully constructing a massive new ballroom at the White House, possibly teeing up a high-stakes showdown over the issue before the Supreme Court.

“Each President is a temporary tenant, not the owner, of the White House and its Executive Residence. The President has no – and claims no – constitutionally assigned authority over that property, which is designed and maintained for the use of all Presidents, current and future, and for the American people,” the DC Circuit Court of Appeals said in a 2-1 ruling siding with the nation’s top historic preservation group.

“The National Trust has shown, compellingly, that Congress has not ceded unfettered authority to the Executive Branch to dramatically redesign, reshape, and reconstruct the White House – the People’s House – to fit a particular President’s desires,” the court wrote in its unsigned opinion.

The court said it would pause its ruling for two weeks to give Trump time to appeal to the Supreme Court.