Legal drama unfolded in Washington on Tuesday when a US district judge blocked further construction work on the lavish ballroom US President Donald Trump is planning on the White House grounds.
The project, estimated to cost about $400 million, has been halted for now by court order, in what is being seen as an embarrassing setback for one of the president's most prominent efforts to reshape the symbols of American government.
Judge Richard Leon granted a request by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit organization that sued over the move. At the center of the lawsuit is the claim that Trump exceeded his authority when he ordered the demolition of the White House's historic East Wing and began construction of the new ballroom without obtaining congressional approval.
A symbol for generations vs executive overreach
The East Wing, which was demolished to make room for the new hall, was originally built in 1902 and expanded during President Franklin D. Roosevelt's tenure.
Trump, who sees the massive ballroom, about 8,300 square meters, as a defining symbol of his presidency and a historic change to the White House, previously promised that it would be "the greatest ballroom anywhere in the world."
The preservation group, by contrast, argues that neither the president nor the National Park Service has the authority to demolish a historic structure or build a new facility without a formal approval process in Congress. Leon, who was appointed by Republican President George W. Bush, described the White House grounds as a "special place" and an "iconic symbol" of the American nation.
"Modernization is needed"
The US Justice Department defended the project, arguing that it was a permissible change intended to modernize the White House complex. According to the administration, the new ballroom is meant to improve infrastructure, strengthen security and ease overcrowding inside the official residence, which currently has to rely on temporary structures on the grounds to host large events.
For now, following the judge's ruling, the ambitious project will remain frozen until the lawsuit is decided.
