Donald Trump says the new White House ballroom is ahead of schedule and privately funded. This follows a Supreme Court order temporarily allowing construction to continue, freezing a lower court ruling that mandated congressional approval for the project.
US President Donald Trump on Saturday (local time) shared an update regarding the ongoing construction of the White House ballroom and integrated military complex, stating that the project is progressing ahead of schedule and under budget. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump emphasised that the development fulfils a long-standing goal for the nation, noting that presidents have wanted the addition for 150 years. “Tremendous work has been done on the magnificent BALLROOM/MILITARY COMPLEX being built on the grounds of the White House! Presidents have wanted this for 150 years, and so has everyone else. It will give the White House, and all of D.C., Great National Security,” he wrote.
Highlighting the funding mechanism for the high-profile build, Trump stated that the ballroom will cost taxpayers nothing, with the entire financial burden covered by private corporate and patriotic donors. “The Project is under budget, and ahead of schedule! The Ballroom will be paid for with ZERO Dollars of Taxpayer Money. Great American Patriots and Companies are footing the entire bill,” he added.
Legal Battle Over Construction
This comes after the Supreme Court temporarily permitted President Donald Trump to proceed with construction on a massive new ballroom at the White House, freezing a court ruling that would have mandated work to stop at midnight on Friday, according to CNN. CNN noted that Friday afternoon’s order does not address the overall legality of the project, but instead is intended to grant the justices additional time to evaluate Trump’s request for an indefinite pause on the adverse rulings.
As reported by CNN, a filing submitted by the Trump administration to the Supreme Court indicated that construction has been advancing swiftly, driven by a “250-person crew working 20-hour days, 7 days per week”. Furthermore, the government’s filing placed the ballroom complex at “65% complete in its entirety”. CNN pointed out that the directive from Chief Justice John Roberts did not establish a new deadline, allowing work at the White House to continue until the Supreme Court issues a subsequent order.
Appeals Court Demands Congressional Approval
Earlier this month, a divided US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled 2-1 that the Trump administration could not proceed with the massive ballroom project without congressional approval. “Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help,” the appeals court said, according to CNN. The court stayed implementation of its ruling for two weeks, giving Trump time to appeal to the Supreme Court. Trump confirmed that his administration would challenge the ruling.
The case stems from Trump’s decision to replace the East Wing with an approximately 89,000-square-foot ballroom. According to CNN, the appeals court ruled that while work on the underground security bunker may continue, above-ground ballroom construction cannot proceed without congressional authorisation. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)