US Supreme Court allows White House ballroom construction to resume

The US Supreme Court has granted a temporary stay allowing construction on President Donald Trump’s proposed $400 million White House ballroom to proceed. In a narrow decision, a five-justice conservative majority paused a lower court injunction that had halted work following a lawsuit by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Chief Justice John Roberts issued a brief order allowing the court additional time to review the administration’s emergency appeal. While the conservative majority noted that the federal government maintains strong legal prospects of eventually defeating the historic preservation group's lawsuit, the justices emphasized that the order does not represent a final verdict on the case's merits. The interim decision enables construction to continue while legal challenges advance through the federal courts.

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