A federal judge on Tuesday blocked President Donald Trump from moving ahead with any further work on a massive new ballroom on the former site of the White House’s East Wing.
“The President of the United States is the steward of the White House for future generations of First Families. He is not, however, the owner!” Judge Richard Leon wrote.
Leon, an appointee of former President Ronald Reagan, said he was delaying implementation of his ruling for two weeks for a possible appeal.
But he warned that “any above-ground construction over the next fourteen days that is not in compliance” with his ruling “is at risk of being taken down depending on the outcome of this case.”
“(U)nless and until Congress blesses this project through statutory authorization, construction has to stop!” Leon wrote, adding that the the good news” is that Trump and Congress can work to authorize the project.
“The President may at any time go to Congress to obtain express authority to construct a ballroom and to do so with private funds. Indeed, Congress may even choose to appropriate funds for the ballroom, or at least decide that some other funding scheme is acceptable,” Leon added.
“Either way, Congress will thereby retain its authority over the nation’s property and its oversight over the Government’s spending,” the judge wrote. “And the American people will benefit from the branches of Government exercising their constitutionally prescribed roles. Not a bad outcome, that!”
