A federal judge has blocked Donald Trump from proceeding on his proposed ballroom without “express authorization from Congress.”
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon prohibited “any further demolition, site preparation work, landscape alteration, excavation, foundation work, or other construction or related work, other than actions strictly necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House and its grounds, including the ballroom construction site, and provide for the personal safety of the President and his staff.”
The ruling will take effect in 14 days, giving Trump’s team time for an appeal.
“The president of the United States is the steward of the White House for future generations of First Families,” U.S. District Judge Richard Leon wrote. “He is not, however, the owner!”
He wrote that the plaintiff in the case, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, was “likely to succeed on the merits because no statute comes close to giving the president the authority he claims to have.”
More to come.
English (US) ·