Supreme Court allows construction for Trump’s White House ballroom

The US Supreme Court has allowed President Donald Trump to continue construction of his controversial White House ballroom, rejecting an attempt by a preservation group to halt the project.

The court ruled 5-4 on Monday, with Chief Justice John Roberts joining the three liberal justices in dissent.

The conservative majority found that the National Trust for Historic Preservation likely lacked the legal standing required to challenge the nearly 90,000-square-foot project.

However, the justices did not rule on whether the construction itself was lawful.

“Today, we do not pass upon the legality of the govern­ment’s East Wing project,” the majority wrote.

The ruling is a major victory for Trump as construction continues while litigation proceeds through lower courts. Court filings say the project is already more than halfway complete.

Roberts argued in his dissent that the construction was “likely unlawful.”

“The White House is not just any building,” Roberts wrote, arguing the project raised questions about Congress's authority over federal spending and property.

Trump celebrated the decision on social media, saying he was “pleased” and calling the preservation group's lawsuit “baseless.”

The National Trust said it was “deeply disappointed” but noted that the Supreme Court had not determined whether the ballroom project was legal.