President Donald Trump has asked the US Supreme Court to permit the continued construction of a new White House ballroom, despite two lower courts ruling that he was proceeding without the necessary congressional authorization. The request was filed publicly on Friday, asking for an emergency order to allow construction to proceed without restrictions while a legal dispute continues. An appeals court ruling, which would block most above-ground work, is set to take effect on August 21 unless the Supreme Court intervenes. Chief Justice John Roberts has requested a response from the group challenging the ballroom by next Tuesday, indicating that the High Court will likely act quickly.
Trump is characterizing the ballroom addition as a "highly integrated military complex that incorporates a classical, but highly secured, ballroom and crucial national-security facilities." The project is described as 65% complete, with a superstructure five stories deep and 70 feet high. The administration has provided new photos and renderings, including images of a "Drone Port" on top of the structure and a gold seal over the ballroom's entrance. The administration stated that a 250-person crew is working 20 hours a day, seven days a week to complete the project.
This legal battle follows rulings from a federal district judge and an appeals court, both of which stated that above-ground work needed to cease. The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, in a 2-1 decision on August 7, affirmed that Congress, not the president, holds authority over federal property in this context. Judges Patricia Millett and Brad Garcia, both Democratic appointees, wrote that "Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for executive self-help."
The administration maintains that the project will be funded by $400 million in private donations and that "zero taxpayer dollars are needed or required" for the ballroom itself. This claim is reiterated by Solicitor General D. John Sauer in the new filing. However, Democrats have raised concerns about the alleged diversion of nearly $400 million allocated for the Secret Service from last year's tax-cut law. Additionally, conflict-of-interest concerns have emerged due to donations from numerous corporations and wealthy individuals, including Apple Inc., Meta Platforms Inc., Alphabet Inc.'s Google, Amazon.com Inc., defense contractors, cryptocurrency ventures, and Wall Street figures like Stephen Schwarzman of Blackstone Inc.
