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Roberts pauses halt
U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts issued an administrative stay that allowed President Donald Trump to continue above-ground construction of the White House ballroom project while the court considered an emergency appeal.
“pending further order”
The stay took effect Friday after a lower-court injunction entered April 16 by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia was set to block the work, and Roberts ordered the injunction on hold "pending further order".
NBC News reported that the Supreme Court’s action was provisional and gave the justices more time to consider next steps, while the legal challenge argued the president lacked authority to demolish the East Wing and build a ballroom.
ABC News said the project was estimated to cost $400 million and described the administration’s position that the ballroom is part of a "military complex" that was 65% complete.
The dispute centers on whether Congress must authorize changes to federal property, with the National Trust for Historic Preservation insisting the president must be held accountable to following federal law.
Competing arguments
The Trump administration told the Supreme Court that halting construction would threaten national security and the safety of the president and other senior officials, describing the project as an "integrated military complex".
In court filings cited by The Hill, the National Trust for Historic Preservation argued, "If Petitioners believe there is a pressing need for a ballroom, nothing prevents them from asking Congress for one — today, tomorrow, or any time in the future," while also warning against efforts to "foil judicial review."
NBC News quoted a trust spokesman saying, “To be clear, this is not a final decision on the merits of the government’s stay application, and we await further action,” as the case continued.
Trump praised the court’s action on TruthSocial, writing, “We are grateful for the Decision of the United States Supreme Court,” and NBC News reported the administration said construction was 65% complete as of Aug. 14.
The Hill also reported Solicitor General D. John Sauer telling the justices that allowing the suit would "open the courthouse doors to any of the millions of people" who object to government buildings or historic sites.
What’s at stake
The case is framed around Congress’s authority over federal property, with the National Trust for Historic Preservation arguing that the president exceeded his authority by moving ahead without congressional approval.
“Federal law gives Congress control over federal property”
ABC News said federal law gives Congress control over federal property, including the White House grounds, while also noting that presidents have long been allowed to undertake "care, maintenance, repair, alteration, refurbishment, and improvement" of the Executive Residence.
NBC News reported that the plan includes an extensive underground component with secure locations and medical facilities, and it said a federal judge had ruled that underground construction could move forward while the ballroom itself could not be built while litigation continued.
Al Jazeera reported that the Supreme Court would allow the $400m project to continue for now by temporarily pausing a judicial order that would halt much of the development, as Roberts signed the temporary order on Friday.
CNN described the Friday order as not addressing the legality of the project and said it was meant to give the justices additional time to consider Trump’s request that adverse rulings be paused indefinitely.