Donald Trump’s $400 million ballroom vanity project has been blocked by a court in Washington, D.C.
In a major blow to the president, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ordered that work stop on the project, which has already seen the East Wing of the White House demolished.
The court has put the ruling on hold for 14 days to give the administration the opportunity to appeal to the Supreme Court.
The Court of Appeals upheld a preliminary injunction won by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which sued after the Trump administration went ahead with the work without congressional approval.
The order came after the court’s 2-1 split, with the majority saying, “Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help.”
“Congress has not ceded unfettered authority to the Executive Branch to dramatically redesign, reshape, and reconstruct the White House — the People’s House — to fit a particular President’s desires,” the panel added.
Trump appealed to the court after U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, a George W. Bush appointee, twice halted construction above ground while allowing below-ground work to continue.
Leon said that there was no federal statute that “comes close to giving the president” the power to make the alterations without congressional approval, Reuters reported.
Trump has previously called the 90,000 sq ft development a “gift” to the people.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment on the court order.
Since his return to the White House, Trump has undertaken several so-called beautification projects around Washington, D.C.
Many have hit early roadblocks, such as the refurbishment of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. A new liner was fitted inside the pool, but soon algae broke out—turning the surface of the water slime green—and the lining began to peel off. The pool has since had to be drained.
In another clanger, a judge ruled that his name had been illegally added to the outside of the Kennedy Center and ordered it be removed.
The ballroom is the flagship of the real-estate mogul’s reimagining of the capital. He has claimed that it is vital for carrying out state events in safety, even using the attempted shooting at this year’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner as justification for the project.
Bragging about it last month, Trump wrote on Truth Social that the ballroom “is approximately twice the size, and a far higher quality, than the original proposal,” promising that “it will be magnificent, safe, and secure!”
It also doubled in price.
