Court Temporarily Allows Construction of White House Ballroom
A US appeals court ruled that construction of a new White House ballroom backed by President Donald Trump may continue until at least 17 April.
A lower court issued an injunction on 31 March to halt construction but suspended its effect to allow for an appeal. The appeals court has now extended that stay until 17 April and asked the district court to clarify its decision to issue the injunction.
The White House argued that the ban left the president’s residence "open and vulnerable" and threatened the safety of the building, the president, his family and staff.
The $400m project would replace the demolished East Wing with a new ballroom of about 8,360 square feet. Trump has called it a significant feature of the White House and a lasting symbol of his presidency.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit in December, arguing that Trump overstepped his authority when he demolished the historic East Wing, originally built in 1902 under President Theodore Roosevelt and expanded in 1942, without congressional approval.