All construction of Trump's White House ballroom can resume, appeals court says

All construction of Trump's White House ballroom can resume, appeals court says18 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleAna FaguyWashingtonGetty ImagesDemolition of the White House East Wing began in OctoberConstruction of the underground and above ground portions of President Donald Trump's White House ballroom project will be allowed to continue, a US appeals court said. The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia granted an administrative stay after the Trump administration appealed against US District Judge Richard Leon's decision to halt above ground construction on Thursday.Construction is now expected to continue until the next hearing, which is due to take place on 5 June.This week's rulings came after the appeals court ordered the judge to reconsider the national security implications of halting the work, after he temporarily blocked all construction of the ballroom in March.The ruling marks a victory for the president in his effort to redesign the storied American structure.Leon said on Thursday that he thought the project required congressional approval, and added that the administration reclassifying the ballroom plans as vital for national security appeared to be an attempted work around. "National security is not a blank cheque to proceed with otherwise unlawful activity," he wrote.After the ruling the president, took to Truth Social to accuse the judge of "attempting to prevent future Presidents and World Leaders from having a safe and secure large scale Meeting Place"."It's all tied together as one big, expensive, and very complex unit, which is vital for National Security and Military Operations of the United States of America!" Trump wrote, adding the underground complex would include bomb shelters and medical facilities.He also said that the ballroom was "needed now" and that "no judge can be allowed to stop" it.The Justice Department filed an appeal agains...