In a divided 5-4 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court has permitted President Donald Trump to continue the construction of a controversial $400 million White House ballroom. The decision allows the administration to move forward indefinitely, blocking a lower court order that had halted above-ground work while a lawsuit by a historic preservation group sought to stop the project.
The ruling replaces a temporary order issued earlier this month and brushes aside conclusions by two lower courts that the project is probably violating the law. While the Supreme Court did not decide on the overall legality of the project, the justices found that the preservation group likely did not have the legal right to challenge it.
Chief Justice John Roberts dissented along with three liberal justices, writing that the construction is likely unlawful because it has not been approved by Congress. President Trump welcomed the ruling in a social media post, calling the legal challenge baseless.