Trump wins yet again.. The Supreme Court ruled Monday that he can move forward indefinitely with the new White House ballroom, a project that’s been fighting through the courts for months.
In a 5-4 vote Justices granted an emergency request from the Trump administration, wiping away lower court rulings that would’ve kept above-ground construction on hold.
It’s the end of a long back-and-forth. Back in March, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon sided with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, ruling that no statute gives a president authority to tear down the East Wing and build a ballroom without Congress signing off. The Trust was likely to win on the merits, he found. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed in a divided ruling in early August. So the administration went to the Supreme Court.
Chief Justice John Roberts had already stepped in once, issuing a temporary stay on August 21 to let work resume while the full Court sorted out what to do. Monday’s order settles that question — for now, indefinitely, construction continues.
What’s still unresolved: whether the roughly $300–400 million project ever needed congressional approval in the first place. The Trust’s underlying lawsuit isn’t over.
Swansenreport 
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