Chief Justice Roberts Allows White House Ballroom Construction to Continue

US Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. allowed work on President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom project to continue on Friday, despite a pending lawsuit.

The judge issued an administrative stay of lower courts’ rulings that would have halted construction. President Trump touted progress on the project Saturday morning, writing on Truth Social, "Tremendous work has been done on the magnificent BALLROOM/MILITARY COMPLEX being built on the grounds of the White House!" Trump filed an emergency appeal with the Supreme Court after an appeals court supported a federal district court judge's decision that the project requires congressional approval.

Trump argued the 90,000-square-foot addition needed to continue for national security and the president’s safety. The construction includes a five-story underground military complex with shelters and a hospital. The Trump administration claimed the ballroom would be outfitted with missile-resistant columns and a drone-proof roof. The Washington Post estimated the overall project could cost $600 million.

Other sources state the project will cost nearly $400 million. Trump claimed the project will be paid for with ZERO Dollars of Taxpayer Money, but Washington Post reporting found the administration was using more than $300 million from taxpayer-funded departments and agencies for parts of the ballroom. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit, sued to stop construction, claiming congressional approval is required. Roberts’ decision gives the Supreme Court more time to assess the emergency appeal, and such administrative stays usually last for days.