Another court blocks White House ballroom work, teeing up a Supreme Court review

Politics Another court blocks White House ballroom work, teeing up a Supreme Court review August 7, 20262:10 PM ET By  Rachel Treisman Construction has continued on the White House ballroom all summer, as seen on Wednesday. Tierney L. Cross/AP hide caption toggle caption Tierney L. Cross/AP An appeals court ordered the Trump administration to halt construction on its White House ballroom, saying the project needs approval from Congress in order to continue. "Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help," the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit wrote in a 136-page ruling issued Friday. History How presidents have changed the White House — and how Trump's ballroom is different The three-judge panel issued a 2-1 ruling, but it says it will stay its order for two weeks to allow the Trump administration to appeal to the Supreme Court. NPR has reached out to the White House for comment but did not hear back in time for publication. Within two hours, President Trump slammed the decision, writing on Truth Social that his administration will be immediately appealing the decision, which he called "horrendous, politically motivated and unlawful." He pointed out that the two judges who sided against him in the ruling were appointed by Democratic presidents: Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Sponsor Message Trump also repeated his administration's argument that the ballroom is a matter of national security, and that Friday's ruling threatens it. The decision "severely jeopardizes the lives and welfare of the people who work, and will be working, at the White House — including all future Presidents of the United States, and their families, as well as the lives of all those visiting, such as Heads of State and other Dignitaries, and all Americans who wish to visit the historic, beautiful Executive Mansion," Trump wrote. Politics Trump's ballroom fight sheds new light on an underground White Hous...