WASHINGTON, D.C. – A federal judge ordered Trump’s ballroom construction to halt. According to court documents, the judge said Congress must approve any changes to the White House, but Trump says otherwise.
On Tuesday, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to stop construction of the President’s 400-million dollar ballroom at the White House. In a 35-page opinion filed on Tuesday, the judge said “The President of the United States is the steward of the White House for future generations of First Families. He is not, however, the owner!” He adds that the President claims that Congress has given him authority in existing statutes to construct his East Wing ballroom project and to do it with private funds but the judge disagrees. The judge writes, “no statute comes close to giving the president the authority he claims to have.”
Late last year, crews demoed the entire East Wing of the White House to make way for the 90-thousand square foot ballroom. The ruling is a huge setback for the President’s plans to redesign the White House.
“Basically he’s saying I need congressional approval and he’s so wrong,” Trump said following the opinion.
In response to the ruling, the President argues the project is being funded without taxpayer dollars and therefore, doesn’t need congressional approval. In the court documents, the judge says otherwise. He writes “Congress has continued to authorize and fund construction and maintenance at the White House up until the present day.” He continues by adding examples such as Congress authorizing repairs to the White House “after it suffered extensive damage during the War of 1812” and that Congress appropriated funds for construction of the south and north porticos in the 1800s, as well as the East and West wings in the early 1900s.
Lawyers representing the government claim the project falls within the President’s personal authority to modernize or improve the White House grounds. The judge writes “unless and until Congress blesses this project through statutory authorization, construction has to stop!”
We asked the White House if they will stop construction and where the project stands following this opinion. A spokesman replied: “President Trump clearly has the legal authority to modernize, renovate, and beautify the White House – just like all of his predecessors did. We will immediately appeal this egregious decision and are confident we will prevail.”
The administration has already filed an appeal.
