Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump ballroom construction to continue

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Friday allowed President Donald Trump to continue constructing, at least for now, a new ballroom adjoining the White House.

Chief Justice John Roberts issued a temporary stay that blocks lower court rulings that would have put the aboveground portion of the project on hold.

But the decision is only provisional, giving the justices more time to consider next steps.

The legal challenge has been brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which argued that the president did not have authority to demolish the East Wing of the White House and build a ballroom. One key issue in the case is whether the trust has legal standing to sue based on one of its members objecting on aesthetic grounds.

“To be clear, this is not a final decision on the merits of the government’s stay application, and we await further action,” a trust spokesman said.

“We are grateful for the Decision of the United States Supreme Court,” he wrote. “The Military/Ballroom Complex being built on the hallowed grounds of the White House, which is so vital for National Security, will be THE GREATEST OF ITS KIND!”

Trump added that “construction is under budget and ahead of schedule.”

In court filings, the administration has said that as of Aug. 14, construction was 65% complete on the $400 million, privately funded project, with a 250-person crew working 20 hours a day, seven days a week.