Supreme Court Allows Continuation of Privately Funded White House Ballroom Project Estimated at $400 Million
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a temporary order permitting construction of a new White House ballroom, which President Donald Trump says will cost about $400 million and be financed by private donors and corporations.
President Donald Trump announced that a new ballroom at the White House is projected to cost close to $400 million and will be funded entirely by private donors and corporations, with no taxpayer money involved. He said he would later identify the contributing companies.
A temporary order from the Supreme Court cleared the way for construction to continue, overturning lower-court rulings that had planned to halt above-ground work due to the absence of congressional approval. Trump thanked the Court and the chief justice, noting that the decision to proceed was “a good thing.”
The administration argues that the president has the authority to modify the White House and other federal properties for national security reasons, while the National Trust for Historic Preservation contends that the president lacks unilateral power to carry out the work, which includes demolition of part of the East Wing. Legal counsel for the Trust accused the White House of trying to “outrun the courts.”
The full Supreme Court is expected to consider whether construction can continue as the broader legal dispute proceeds.