Trump furious as White House ballroom construction blocked: 'Unjust decision must be overturned'

A federal appeals court has ordered the Trump administration to halt construction on a controversial $400 million ballroom project at the White House. The project, which involves demolishing the East Wing, has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats who argue that federal resources should be directed toward urgent economic and social issues rather than a new reception hall.

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The ballroom is desperately needed, completely secure, and is being built ahead of schedule and under budget.

President Donald Trump reacted furiously on his Truth Social platform, calling the court's decision "unjust" and "wrong." He asserted that the ballroom is "desperately needed, completely secure, and is being built ahead of schedule and under budget." Trump also claimed the project is a "gift" from him and "great patriots" and will not cost American taxpayers anything. He urged the Supreme Court to overturn the decision.

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This unjust decision must be overturned in its entirety by the Supreme Court.

Despite Trump's claims of private funding, Republicans in the U.S. Senate have requested approximately $1 billion in public funds for security upgrades and underground infrastructure for the new building. The lawsuit was initiated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation after the administration began construction without congressional authorization. A federal judge had previously blocked above-ground work twice, but allowed underground construction to continue. The appellate court has temporarily suspended its order for 14 days to allow the Trump administration to appeal to the Supreme Court.

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No law comes close to granting the president the authority needed to build such a building without congressional approval.