Supreme Court Temporarily Allows White House Ballroom Construction to Continue

The Supreme Court has temporarily allowed construction of President Donald Trump’s proposed White House ballroom to continue, putting on hold a lower-court order that would have required work to stop Friday night.

Chief Justice John Roberts issued the administrative stay Friday afternoon as the Supreme Court considers the Trump administration’s request to indefinitely pause lower-court rulings against the project. The order does not determine whether the ballroom itself is legal.

Construction has been moving quickly. The Trump administration told the Supreme Court that about 250 workers have been working 20-hour days, seven days a week, and that the project is approximately 65% complete.

The legal challenge was brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which argues Trump cannot proceed with the massive project without congressional approval. A federal judge previously ordered construction to stop, and the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that decision in a 2-1 ruling.

The appeals court said the decision to build a massive ballroom was for Congress to make and not something the executive branch could undertake on its own.

Trump's administration has argued the project is necessary for national security, citing security threats against the president as well as the need to improve facilities at the White House.

The project has involved the demolition of the former East Wing to make room for the new event space. Trump has described the ballroom as an important part of his vision for the White House and his presidential legacy.

The Supreme Court's administrative stay was issued without an explanation, vote count or recorded dissents. Roberts is expected to refer the case to the full nine-member court.

The National Trust has also challenged the administration's argument that it lacks standing to bring the lawsuit. Lower courts have found the group has standing through one of its members, an architectural historian who says the project affects her ability to experience the White House as a historic landmark.

Meanwhile, the cost of the project has continued to rise. The administration initially estimated the ballroom would cost $200 million. Trump later put the figure at about $300 million and more recently said nearly $400 million had already been spent.

The Supreme Court's latest action allows construction to continue for now while the justices consider the broader legal dispute.