US Court blocks Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom project

A US federal appeals court has blocked President Donald Trump from continuing construction of his planned $400 million White House ballroom, ruling that he lacks authority to proceed without congressional approval.

According to Peoples Gazette, the Washington-based DC Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the Trump administration’s appeal in a 2-1 decision Friday.

The ballroom was planned for the site of the demolished East Wing. The court held that presidents are temporary White House residents and cannot fundamentally alter the historic residence without approval from Congress.