The Supreme Court on Monday granted the Trump administration an emergency stay, allowing construction to continue on a controversial gold-gilded White House ballroom. The 5-4 ruling temporarily halts lower court orders that would have forced the administration to cease all aboveground construction by the end of the week.
This decision is a significant victory for President Donald Trump, who seeks to complete the expansive $400 million ballroom project. The plan includes a 90,000-square-foot aboveground structure and an extensive underground component that administration officials have described as critical for national security.
In an unsigned opinion, the justices indicated that the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the group that sued the administration over the project, likely lacked the legal standing to do so. The court's ruling did not address the president's ultimate legal authority to unilaterally order the project forward.