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Preservationists ask Supreme Court to block WH ballroom; Pirro opposes release of vandalism suspect
Preservationists have asked the Supreme Court to block the White House ballroom, Pirro slammed a decision to release a WWII Memorial vandal suspect and more top headlines.
The White House can continue construction on President Donald Trump’s $400 million ballroom for now, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts ruled Friday.
The temporary order reverses lower-court rulings that would have forced construction to be halted.
SCOTUS to decide on White House ballroom
The backstory:
The White House sent an emergency request to the Supreme Court, asking it to intervene in lawsuits filed over the project. A Washington-based judge had ordered work to stop because Trump doesn’t have congressional approval.
MORE: Trump administration must suspend White House ballroom construction, judge orders
What we know:
Roberts approved the emergency order in a brief, one-page document.
Construction continues on the White House East Wing ballroom on August 20, 2026, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
What we don't know:
The order doesn’t reveal Roberts' reasoning or say when the high court will weigh in.
Trump’s ballroom project
What they're saying:
The administration has argued that the president has the authority to renovate the White House and other federal buildings as he sees fit. Trump officials also argue the ballroom project is needed to address national security concerns, but Trump didn’t mention national security when he first announced the project. He said the project would be funded by private donations, including from himself.
By the numbers:
According to the Trump administration, 65% of the work has already been completed. Plans call for a 90,000-square-foot addition where the East Wing stood before the president ordered its demolition.
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Ballroom blocked & Howard University buyouts | TOP HEADLINES
A US Appeals Court has blocked President Trump's $400M ballroom project.
The other side:
The National Trust for Historic Preservation argues that Trump has no unilateral authority to do the work, and accuses the White House of trying to "outrun the courts" by accelerating construction ahead of rulings.
Trump’s Supreme Court victories
Big picture view:
Roberts’ temporary order is another Supreme Court victory for Trump, who has used unprecedented assertions of presidential power and increasingly seeks to alter the capital to suit his own image.
The Trump administration has scored a series of wins on the high court’s emergency docket, though the justices have ruled against some of the president's signature policies after fuller review.
The Source: This article includes information from The Associated Press and previous FOX Local reporting.