The US Supreme Court has allowed construction of a massive White House ballroom to continue for now, giving President Donald Trump a temporary victory for one of his pet renovation projects.
Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily lifted a lower court ruling that had demanded a halt to the building of the controversial ballroom by midnight on Friday.
Roberts's one-sentence order means that work on the ballroom, which has been challenged by historical preservation groups, may proceed while litigation plays out in the lower courts.
Trump, in a post on Truth Social, said he was "grateful" for the Supreme Court decision.
"The Military/Ballroom Complex being built on the hallowed grounds of the White House, which is so vital for National Security, will be the greatest of its kind!" he said. "Construction is under budget and ahead of schedule."
The Trump administration asked the conservative-dominated Supreme Court last week to allow it to finish building the ballroom and an underground bunker at the White House, saying the project was essential for national security.
Trump ordered the demolition of the entire historic East Wing of the White House last year to make way for his long-desired ballroom, but the project was quickly challenged in court.
A district court ordered a halt to work on the aboveground ballroom while allowing construction of the underground military bunker to proceed, but that order was stayed on appeal.
The appellate court recently upheld the lower court's order, agreeing that such a sweeping White House overhaul required the explicit consent of Congress, but gave the administration time to appeal to the Supreme Court.
'Not a tenant'
Solicitor General John Sauer, in the appeal to the Supreme Court, also stressed the project's security aspects and argued that the president has the authority to make changes to the White House.
"The President of the United States of America is not a tenant, but rather the sole, elected head of the Executive Branch, and Congress has authorised him to renovate, secure, and protect the White House and its grounds, as other Presidents have been allowed to do, without exception," Sauer said.
The project is already 65 percent complete, he said, and halting it "will stall this vital construction, making this president, the subject of recurrent assassination attempts, much less safe, and risking future presidents' safety."
Work on the ballroom began last year with the sudden demolition of the East Wing, which had housed the First Lady's offices.
The ballroom is just one of Trump's moves to leave his mark on Washington by the time his second term ends in January 2029.
They include renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, a White House helipad, work on public parks and plans to construct a gigantic downtown arch.
Several of the projects have similarly faced legal challenges, but the ballroom project is the first to reach the Supreme Court.
