Trump’s White House ballroom heads to appeals court battle

The Trump administration on Friday is set to make its case before a federal appeals court on why it believes it has authority to build the White House ballroom without further approval from Congress. 

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has agreed to allow construction to proceed until it rules on whether the project can proceed. That decision will determine next steps for the project, which President Trump has been pressing for weeks. 

The legal battle has unfolded in the aftermath of shootings at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and one just outside the White House. The Justice Department has described both as attempts on Trump’s life, telling judges that it heightens the need for the ballroom, which Trump has described as having military-grade security.

“The Ballroom is on time, under budget, and free to the American taxpayer, while benefiting future Presidents by serving as a ‘safe haven’ from attackers such as the two recent would-be assassins,” the Justice Department wrote in court filings last weekend. 

The hearing also comes as the project faces congressional pushback. Six GOP senators voted with Democrats on Thursday in support of a proposal that would explicitly block the project. 

Friday’s oral argument will unfold in the nation’s capital before a three-judge panel, one appointed by each of the three most recent presidents. 

U.S. Circuit Judge Neomi Rao is the sole Trump appointee. U.S. Circuit Judge Brad Garcia was appointed by former President Biden, and U.S. Circuit Judge Patricia Millett was appointed by former President Obama. 

They’re set to decide whether Congress has authorized the project. 

Federal law allows the president to conduct routine maintenance and upkeep of the White House. 

“But that is all,” the National Trust for Historic Preservation wrote in court filings. The group is leading the legal fight against the project. 

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, an appointee of former President George W. Bush assigned the case, agreed with their arguments and restricted above-ground construction this........

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