WASHINGTON, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday allowed President Donald Trump to move forward with the construction of a new White House ballroom, handing the president a victory in a controversial project.
In a 5-4 vote, the court blocked lower court orders that would have halted construction of the aboveground portion of the project. Chief Justice John Roberts joined the court's three liberal justices in dissent.
The ruling came after a federal appeals court in Washington ruled on Aug. 7 that Trump is unlawfully constructing a massive 400-million-dollar ballroom at the White House.
The lawsuit was filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which argued that the president lacked the authority to proceed with construction without congressional approval.
The latest ruling by the Supreme Court still did not address the legality of the project itself. "We conclude only that, based on the submissions before us, the government is likely to prevail in showing that the Trust lacks Article III standing to challenge the project in federal court and that the remaining stay factors favor relief," the ruling said.
To establish standing to sue in federal court under Article III of the Constitution, a plaintiff must show that it has suffered an "injury in fact" -- that is, the invasion of a legally protected interest, according to the ruling.
The White House unveiled plans for the ballroom project in late July 2025 and began demolishing the East Wing in October to make room for the new structure. The 90,000-square-foot ballroom is designed to accommodate around 1,000 guests.
In recent court filings, the Trump administration said that construction was 65 percent complete and a 250-person crew has been working 20 hours a day, seven days a week.
NBC News reported that Secret Service funds have already been allocated to cover some of the project's security enhancements, casting doubt on the White House's claim that the project would be funded entirely by private donations.
