Trump seeks Supreme Court clearance for White House ballroom

US President Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court on Friday to let construction continue on White House ballroom without congressional permission while his administration appeals a stop-work order.

The emergency application, reported by BBC News, came one week after an appeals court ordered construction to stop until Congress approves, upholding a ruling won by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The order does not take effect until 21 August, when work must cease unless the Supreme Court grants emergency relief.

US Solicitor General D John Sauer called the stop-work order "dangerous" and asked that construction continue during the appeal. Sauer said the project is 65% complete and argued that denying the request would amount to "construction-by-injunction".

The legal fight began in October, when the administration demolished the East Wing of the White House to start construction without congressional approval. The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued soon after, arguing the project was unlawful because it began without a required review process that includes public comment and approval by bodies such as the National Capital Planning Commission.

Trump has long argued that the White House lacks a large event space and that a ballroom is vital for national security. The administration says the project also includes military facilities, including bomb shelters and centres for medical treatment, and is fully funded by private corporate donations rather than taxpayer money, meaning congressional approval is not required.

The ballroom is part of Trump’s broader effort to remake Washington’s cityscape, alongside renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and a planned "Arc de Trump" in the style of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. The administration has faced allegations that those projects also sidestepped required review and public-comment processes, a charge Trump denies.