U.S. appeals court blocks Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom

Aug. 7 (UPI) — A federal appeals court on Friday ruled that U.S. President Donald Trump’s $400 million ballroom at the White House is unlawful and blocked further work on it.

In a 2-1 vote, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled Congress has control over development funding for the White House and had not approved Trump’s project.

“Whether or not a m***ive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help,” the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals said in a majority opinion, siding with the country’s top historic preservation organization that sued over the project last year.

“The National Trust has shown, compellingly, that Congress has not ceded unfettered authority to the Executive Branch to dramatically redesign, reshape, and reconstruct the White House — the People’s House — to fit a particular President’s desires,” the majority ruled.

The court delayed the order for two weeks to allow the Trump administration to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The court’s ruling does not apply to below-ground construction at the White House site.

“We are aware of no instance in American history in which a President unilaterally and using privately collected funds demolished substantial portions of the White House that Congress authorized to be built and American taxpayers paid for. Until now,” the majority wrote.

The majority comprised U.S. Circuit Judge Patricia Millett, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, and U.S. Circuit Judge Brad Garcia, who was appointed by President Joe Biden.

Trump-appointed U.S. Circuit Judge Neomi Rao, dissented, saying the National Trust had no right to sue. Also, the project was likely within the president’s authority, she added.

A federal trial judge in Washington earlier this year ordered Trump to cease all above-ground work until the plans are approved by Congress. However, the appeals court allowed the work to continue while it considered the legal challenge. The ruling Friday reverses that ruling earlier and said Congress must approve the entire project.