Ballroom projected at $300 million despite Trump’s prior statement
The Supreme Court on Monday cleared President Trump to continue construction of his White House ballroom without first obtaining congressional approval, according to NPR’s Up First newsletter.
The ruling came in a case brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which had challenged the construction on the grounds that the project proceeded without congressional sign-off. In its decision, the court did not address the underlying legality of demolishing the East Wing or of building the ballroom in its place. Instead, the majority held that the National Trust for Historic Preservation lacked standing to bring the lawsuit, finding the organization had likely not suffered a concrete injury.
Chief Justice John Roberts and the court’s three liberal justices dissented.
NPR reported that the new ballroom is projected to cost taxpayers at least $300 million, even though Trump has previously said that taxpayers would not pay for the project.
According to NPR’s Up First newsletter, the high court’s decision focused narrowly on the standing question rather than the substantive legal questions surrounding the East Wing demolition and ballroom construction. The ruling leaves those questions unresolved in the courts.
The Supreme Court’s decision does not foreclose future legal challenges on other grounds, including questions about the demolition of the East Wing. Construction of the ballroom can continue for now; the court’s Monday decision removes the requirement for congressional approval from the project’s legal path.