Trump Takes Court Victory Lap as Construction Resumes on Ballroom

(Photo via AP)

President Donald Trump took a victory lap Wednesday as construction resumed on his $400 million White House ballroom, days after the Supreme Court cleared the administration to keep building despite a challenge to the project.

Trump took to Truth Social to celebrate the “hundreds of happy construction workers” who were beginning the work on the ballroom, which he called a “gift to America:”

We have hundreds of happy construction workers in D.C. busily doing their job building the finest Ballroom/Military complex anywhere in the World. There is nothing like it, and never will be! It was a long, hard, fight in the Court System, but the winner is, as always under “TRUMP,” the U.S.A. Also, it is important to remember, the Ballroom is a 400 Million Dollar gift to America! President DJT

(Screengrab via Truth Social)

Trump’s celebration follows a 5-4 Supreme Court ruling Monday granting his administration’s emergency request to block lower court decisions that would have halted construction on the project.

The decision allows work to continue while a lawsuit brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation proceeds. The group has argued Trump lacks the authority to undertake the sweeping construction project without congressional approval.

The court’s majority did not rule on the ultimate legality of the project, instead finding the preservation group “lacks standing” to bring its challenge and that lower courts had “likely exceeded” their authority in ordering construction stopped.

Chief Justice John Roberts, a conservative, notably joined the court’s three liberal justices in dissent, warning the “decision is no victory for the separation of powers.”

Roberts argued that “construction is likely unlawful” because Congress has not approved the project.

Trump demolished the historic East Wing of the White House last fall to make way for the ballroom.

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