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SCOTUS Lets Work Continue
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 on Monday that construction of a $400m (£297m) White House ballroom can go ahead, blocking lower court rulings that would have halted above-ground work on the project.
“In a 5-4 ruling, the justices granted the Trump administration's emergency request”
The decision came as the National Trust for Historic Preservation challenged the ballroom, and the court’s majority said the plaintiff likely lacks standing to sue to block the project.
Chief Justice John Roberts dissented, writing that "construction is likely unlawful" because Congress has not approved the project.
The White House said the project will be "substantially" finished by November and fully completed by August 2028, while Trump had demolished the historic East Wing of the executive residence last autumn to begin building the ballroom.
Standing, Dissent, and Quotes
The Supreme Court’s unsigned order said the National Trust likely lacks legal standing, emphasizing that a declaration by board member Alison Hoagland that viewing the finished ballroom would cause "injuries" was likely insufficient.
The majority also said, "Mere offense, disagreement, or distaste does not qualify as a concrete and particularized injury under Article III" of the U.S. Constitution.
Roberts argued in dissent that Congress has explicitly barred construction of any building on federal properties without Congress’ "express authority," writing that "Yet Congress has not passed any law resembling 'express authority' for the Executive's construction of it."
Trump reacted by posting that he was "pleased" the "baseless" lawsuit had failed to halt construction, while the National Trust said the ruling did not resolve whether the ballroom project was legal.
Timeline and What’s at Risk
Court documents described the project as 90,000 sq ft (8,400 sq m) and said the White House ballroom is part of a wider effort that includes a helipad being constructed on the South Lawn and a planned "Arc de Trump" larger than the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
“the justices granted the Trump administration's emergency request”
The Supreme Court majority did not decide whether Trump has the legal authority to build without congressional approval, but it said lower courts had "likely exceeded" their authority in blocking the ballroom.
In dissent, Roberts warned that "Today's decision is no victory for the separation of powers," while the National Trust argued that the president did not have unilateral authority to proceed with construction.
The dispute also hinges on whether the project will cause "irreversible historical-preservation, architectural, and visual damage" if it is not put on hold, with the court’s majority returning the legality question to lower courts.