WASHINGTON: The US Supreme Court on Monday allowed the Trump administration to continue construction of a $400 million ballroom complex at the White House, overturning a lower-court order that had temporarily halted above-ground work while a legal challenge against the project proceeds.
The 5-4 decision marked a victory for President Donald Trump, who has continued pushing ahead with the project despite a lawsuit arguing that the president lacks the authority to make such a major alteration to the White House complex without congressional approval.
The Supreme Court’s unsigned order did not definitively determine whether the ballroom project is lawful. Instead, the justices found that the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which is challenging the project, likely lacked legal standing to bring the case. The court also said the government could suffer “irreparable harm” if construction were halted.
Five of the court’s six conservative justices supported the decision. Chief Justice John Roberts dissented, joined by the court’s three liberal justices.
In a strongly worded dissent, Roberts argued that the ruling did not settle the central question of whether Trump had the legal authority to undertake the project. He said the ballroom was “likely unlawful” because Congress had not expressly authorised its construction.
Roberts cited federal laws governing construction on federal parkland and public grounds in Washington and argued that Congress has authority over federal property in the capital.
“Today’s decision is no victory for the separation of powers,” Roberts wrote, according to the Associated Press.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation had argued that Trump could not unilaterally demolish the White House’s East Wing and replace it with a 90,000-square-foot ballroom.
Lower courts had previously ordered construction to be halted above ground while the legal challenge continued. A federal appeals court upheld the order earlier this month, finding that the president could not fundamentally reshape the White House without congressional approval.
Trump hails Supreme Court decision
Trump welcomed the Supreme Court ruling and dismissed the lawsuit as “baseless”. He described the decision as a victory for the ballroom project and the associated military complex.
“I am pleased to report that the United States Supreme Court has just ruled in favor of the Ballroom/Military Complex being built without any further contingency, doubt, or threat,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
The administration has defended the project as both an expansion of the White House and a national security measure. Justice Department lawyers told the Supreme Court that the complex would include a highly secure ballroom connected to an underground military installation.
Trump has said the underground facility will include bomb shelters, medical facilities and protection against drones and missiles. The administration has argued that stopping construction could interfere with security arrangements at the White House.
The project was initially presented as a privately funded ballroom. However, national security concerns became a central part of the administration’s legal defence after courts ordered construction to stop.
East Wing demolished for project
The Trump administration has already demolished the White House East Wing, which previously housed the first lady’s offices and a White House movie theatre, to make way for the new complex.
Trump has described the planned ballroom as the “greatest” of its kind and said it is expected to be completed in 2028.
Court documents cited by the AP said construction crews had been working as many as 20 hours a day. The framework is expected to be completed in November, with much of the exterior projected to be finished by April.
The administration has said the wider East Wing project, including underground facilities, is already around 65% complete.
The National Trust has accused the White House of attempting to accelerate construction and “outrun the courts” before the legal dispute over the project’s authority is resolved.
Monday’s Supreme Court order allows construction to continue for now, but it does not settle the underlying question of whether Trump can legally build the ballroom without congressional approval.
