US Supreme Court allows construction on White House ballroom to resume

The US Supreme Court has temporarily permitted President Donald Trump to resume construction on his planned $400 million White House ballroom while legal disputes continue. In a 5–4 decision, the conservative majority paused a lower court injunction that had temporarily halted the project.

The suit was originally brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation over concerns regarding structural alterations to the historic site. A brief order issued by Chief Justice John Roberts stated that the emergency stay gives the justices additional time to review the administration's legal claims. The majority noted that the government has strong prospects of eventually having the lawsuit dismissed. However, the justices emphasized that this procedural decision does not constitute a final ruling on the legality of the construction. The temporary clearance could allow key structural work to finish before a definitive verdict is reached.

Sources: Der Standard, Die Zeit, FAZ, ORF, Tagesschau