US Supreme Court allows White House ballroom construction to resume

The US Supreme Court has granted a temporary stay allowing construction to proceed on US President Donald Trump’s proposed $400 million ballroom at the White House.

In a 5–4 decision, the court's conservative majority lifted a lower court injunction halting the project. Chief Justice John Roberts issued the order to provide justices additional time to evaluate an emergency application filed by the administration. The justices indicated that the government has a strong likelihood of prevailing against a lawsuit brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which alleges that the development violates historic preservation regulations.

The Supreme Court emphasized that allowing work to resume does not represent a final ruling on the legal merits of the project, though construction could significantly progress before a final decision is reached.

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