Judge temporarily halts construction of Trump s White House ballroom

A US judge has put a temporary stop to the construction of President Donald Trump’s ballroom at the White House. The judge determined that the correct steps were not followed before starting the project. This ruling comes after the National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit against the White House. Judge Richard Leon stated, “(U)nless and until Congress blesses this project through statutory authorization, construction has to stop!” Trump plans to appeal this decision and disagrees with the judge’s conclusion that Congressional approval is needed for the ballroom. He argued that the current space is not suitable for hosting important guests like King Charles III, who is set to visit Washington next month. The Trump administration previously claimed that their plan would be cheaper than fixing up the East Wing and highlighted that many past presidents have made changes to the White House. In his ruling, published on Tuesday, Leon wrote a 35-page document stating, “I have concluded that the National Trust is likely to succeed on the merits because no statute comes close to giving the President the authority he claims to have.” He emphasized that while the President acts as a caretaker of the White House for future First Families, he does not own it. The judge's ruling requires Congressional approval before the project can continue. The order will take effect in 14 days, allowing time for an appeal.