US Supreme Court permits temporary continuation of White House ballroom construction

The US Supreme Court has allowed construction to temporarily resume on President Donald Trump's $400 million White House ballroom project. In a narrow five-to-four decision along conservative lines, the court paused a lower court's injunction following an emergency application from the administration.

Chief Justice John Roberts issued the order to grant the justices additional time to deliberate on the legal merits of the dispute. The lawsuit, brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, challenges the construction project on historic conservation grounds. The high court noted that its temporary order does not represent a final judgment on the legality of the construction. As a result of the ruling, structural work and framing on the White House grounds may proceed while the judicial review remains pending.

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