Court Gives Trump Game-Changing Legal Victory

A federal appeals court handed Donald Trump a temporary victory Friday, allowing his proposed $400 million White House ballroom project to move forward for now.

A three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit paused an earlier ruling from U.S. District Judge Richard Leon that had blocked above-ground construction at the site of the former East Wing. The appeals court scheduled a June 5 hearing to examine the dispute in greater detail.

Leon had ruled one day earlier that construction on the planned 90,000-square-foot ballroom could not proceed above ground, though he allowed underground work connected to a bunker and other “national security facilities” to continue.

Trump moved forward with the project after the East Wing was demolished last fall, seeking to replace it with a large ballroom he has promoted for years.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued to halt construction, arguing the administration bypassed required approvals from federal agencies and Congress.

Judge Leon sided with the preservation group in late March, but briefly delayed enforcement of his order while permitting underground construction to continue. The administration then appealed.

Trump has described the ballroom as a long-overdue modernization of the White House complex, saying private donations from wealthy supporters and corporations would fund the project. Taxpayer dollars, however, are expected to cover security-related expenses associated with the construction.