This article is from: srnnews.com
(AP) – The Supreme Court has cleared the way for the Trump administration to continue construction of a proposed $400 million ballroom and military complex at the White House while legal challenges move through the courts.
The divided decision is a significant victory for President Donald Trump, who has argued that the project will strengthen security, improve the government’s ability to host major events, and modernize the White House campus.
The court’s apparent five-to-four ruling replaces a temporary order issued earlier this month, shortly before a lower-court construction halt was scheduled to take effect.
The unsigned order did not decide whether the ballroom project is ultimately legal. Instead, the majority concluded that the National Trust for Historic Preservation probably does not have the legal standing to challenge the work.
The justices pointed to administration arguments that the project would protect a planned underground military installation and provide a safer, more secure location for large gatherings than the temporary tents now used for major events.
The majority wrote that the primary harm claimed by the preservation group was that one of its members would be offended by viewing a structure of the height, scale and massing proposed by the government.
President Trump welcomed the ruling in a social media post, calling it a decision in favor of what he described as the “Ballroom/Military Complex.” He said the project would be completed in the summer of 2028 and would be something the entire country could be proud of.
The administration says construction crews are working as many as 20 hours a day on the 90,000-square-foot facility. Court documents say the framework could be completed by November, much of the exterior by April, and the entire project by August of 2028.
The decision also highlighted a sharp disagreement within the court. Chief Justice John Roberts, who had signed the earlier temporary order, issued a strong dissent. He was joined by the court’s three liberal justices.
Roberts wrote that the project is likely unlawful because Congress has not approved it. He said the decision was “no victory for the separation of powers” and argued that the preservation group and its members have a legitimate interest in protecting historic American buildings.
The National Trust’s president and chief executive, Brent Leggs, said the group was disappointed by the ruling but encouraged by Roberts’ dissent. Leggs emphasized that Monday’s order does not resolve the central question of whether a president can demolish and redesign portions of the White House without congressional authorization.
The lawsuit began after the administration moved forward with the project, including the demolition of the East Wing. The trust argues that federal law prohibits construction on federal parks or public grounds in Washington without express authority from Congress.
The administration has responded that the president possesses broad authority to renovate the White House and other federal buildings. Solicitor General D. John Sauer called the lower-court order stopping construction “extraordinary and unlawful,” and said the project is vitally important to national security.
A federal judge had ordered aboveground construction to stop in April, while allowing underground bunkers and military installations to continue. A divided appeals court later upheld that order. Two judges appointed by Democratic presidents said the project was a matter for Congress, while a judge appointed by President Trump said the preservation group lacked the legal right to sue.
The case now returns to the lower courts. But with key portions of construction potentially completed within months, the administration’s strategy is clear: keep the project moving while the legal debate continues.
PHOTO- The new White House ballroom under construction, built on the demolished East Wing, is pictured, as seen from the Washington Monument, Sunday, August. 23, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Brought to you by www.srnnews.com
