Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts has allowed work on the White House East Wing ballroom project to continue, issuing an administrative stay of a lower court order.

Roberts announced on Friday that the stay would pause the effect of the ruling later in the day, when it was due to halt most above-ground construction. The order is intended to be brief and temporary, and it does not address the substance of President Donald Trump’s appeal or provide reasons for granting additional time before the Supreme Court reaches a final decision.

With the stay in place, construction can proceed without interruption on the ballroom project, which the administration says is part of a “military complex” and is about 65% complete. Officials have estimated the project will cost $400 million.

Roberts’ Limited Stay

The Supreme Court chief justice’s order consists of two sentences and is designed to hold the lower court’s injunction in abeyance. It does not comment on whether Trump’s appeal should succeed, nor does it explain why the Supreme Court needs more time before issuing a formal ruling.

Law On Federal Property Versus Executive Residence Works

The case turns on federal authority over government property. Under federal law, Congress has a role in overseeing federal property, including land and buildings under the White House. The law, however, has also long recognised presidents’ ability to carry out “care, maintenance, repair, alteration, refurbishment, and improvement” works relating to the Executive Residence.

Trump began demolition of the East Wing in late 2025 to make way for the planned ballroom. A lower court later concluded that Trump had overstepped his authority by demolishing the East Wing and starting construction on the 90,000-square-foot structure without congressional approval. An appeals court, in a divided decision earlier this month, upheld that finding.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, which brought the lawsuit, argues that the president must be held to federal requirements governing changes to federal property. It maintains that the work cannot proceed without the authorisation required by law.

The administration, in contrast, has said the planned upgrades are within the president’s prerogative and should not be subject to judicial review when tied to national security.

National Security And The Emergency Operations Centre

Trump has also argued that the ballroom is not simply an addition to the building but is instead a critical military site. He pointed to the Presidential Emergency Operations Center (PEOC), which has been based under the East Wing of the White House since the 1940s.

Earlier this week, Trump was asked by a reporter what he would do if the Supreme Court ultimately ruled against him in the ballroom case. He said: “Well, we hope that doesn’t happen. I can’t imagine it happening.”

Trump later reiterated the administration’s position that the project is connected to military needs. He described how the “military came” to see him before work began, saying they told him they had been trying for years to make use of an opportunity, adding that the concept “started off as a ballroom”.

Appeals Court Decision Stands While Supreme Court Considers

As the Supreme Court considers the appeal, Roberts’ administrative stay keeps the lower court’s stop order from taking effect. The case remains pending, with the Supreme Court yet to issue a decision on whether Trump’s actions were authorised under the federal framework governing the White House and the Executive Residence.

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22 August 2026

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Dang man.

I'm in China and I could still hear the lefty screeches from across the pond.

Bad decision. I read where the construction will soon be reaching the point where it is so far along it likely can't be stopped--although I would question that. Trump has the work going on 20 hours a day in hopes that will be the case.

Meanwhile, any president, not just Trump, cannot have absolute power to do anything he wants with US government buildings, monuments, museums, etc. With such unlimited power, a president, unchecked, could, theoretically, order the destruction of the White House! Oh, wait, that's already happened.

3 hours ago, impulse said:

Dang man.

I'm in China and I could still hear the lefty screeches from across the pond.

Wow, that’s lame. If your whole worldview revolves around “owning the libs,” isn’t that kind of shallow? If you think that continuing with this vanity project, which will cost taxpayers an estimated $300 million (about half the total cost), is a great idea, then by all means let us know. Also, if you think the president should have the right to unilaterally make decisions on destroying large parts of a building that has always belonged to the American people, without consulting with Congress or other bodies, well, fess up, but you’re kind of leaning fascist, right?

 

But if your only response to this story is, Wow, this is so great because it will make the other side mad, that doesn’t really amount to much, does it ...

2 minutes ago, Cory1848 said:

Wow, that’s lame. If your whole worldview revolves around “owning the libs,” isn’t that kind of shallow? If you think that continuing with this vanity project, which will cost taxpayers an estimated $300 million (about half the total cost), is a great idea, then by all means let us know. Also, if you think the president should have the right to unilaterally make decisions on destroying large parts of a building that has always belonged to the American people, without consulting with Congress or other bodies, well, fess up, but you’re kind of leaning fascist, right?

 

But if your only response to this story is, Wow, this is so great because it will make the other side mad, that doesn’t really amount to much, does it ...

Sorry, I'm immune to accusations of fascism and racism and most of the phobias. They've lost all meaning. Congratulations. We just don't care any more. I'm actually an old school liberal, just not a whacked out lefty.

I was trolling for lefty outrage, and looks like I got a nibble.

In reality, I was just giving back some of the absolute glee on the left when the lower inferior courts blocked the President from making changes in the President's house. 300 million is a tiny percentage of the grifts happening in CA, MN, IL and NY. Barely a rounding error. Where's the left's outrage around that? There is none. Proving that it's just performative. Do better.

55 minutes ago, impulse said:

Sorry, I'm immune to accusations of fascism and racism and most of the phobias. They've lost all meaning. Congratulations. We just don't care any more. I'm actually an old school liberal, just not a whacked out lefty.

I was trolling for lefty outrage, and looks like I got a nibble.

In reality, I was just giving back some of the absolute glee on the left when the lower inferior courts blocked the President from making changes in the President's house. 300 million is a tiny percentage of the grifts happening in CA, MN, IL and NY. Barely a rounding error. Where's the left's outrage around that? There is none. Proving that it's just performative. Do better.

“Trolling for lefty outrage”? Again, lame. Your entire opinion on the president’s destruction of parts of the White House seems to rest entirely on what the “other side” thinks. Sure, I was happy when the lower courts blocked the construction (“Inferior” courts? Really? Stop being childish) -- not because of any glee on my part that they were “owning the fascists,” but because it was the right decision.

 

If, at this point in August 2026, with all we know, you harbor any support whatsoever for Trump, then you are at least fascist-curious. Of course you don’t care what I would say, given that I’m a complete stranger to you, and I don’t at all blame you for that. For my part, I’m so far left it would make your head spin, and I don’t care what you may think about that, if anything.

 

P.S. It’s not the “President’s house”: it’s my house. And, if you’re a US citizen, it’s your house, too. Hope you get to enjoy that ballroom! You take care now --

The White House belongs to the presidency. Not the National Trust or whatever activist lawyers are LARPing as constitutional scholars this week.

Lower courts tried to freeze a half-finished project on pure process theater; Roberts correctly hit pause. The same people who are screaming “fascism” over a ballroom were silent when previous administrations spent billions on their own pet renovations and preferred consultants.

Anything that looks like progress or actually gets built is pure poison to Democrats and their commie cheerleaders. especially if Trump’s name is anywhere near it.

Watching them contort themselves to declare every improvement “<deleted>” never gets old.

Selective outrage isn’t principle, it’s just the usual script as we can see in almost all the threads here about Trump.

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Officials have estimated the project will cost $400 million.

Which means it will cost a billion USD, and the US taxpayers will be left with the bill. Guaranteed!

Once again SCOTUS is doing God's work 😀

Not having a BALLROOM is a DISASTER

For the American people

I've waited my whole life to see a

Marble floored gold embossed ballroom

So other people can spend my tax dollars

Lobster, champagne, unlimited crab legs

It's nice that those people can live so well

Republicans are doing so well lately

Since Donald Trump invented the word "groceries" 🤣

affordability is just a made-up word

The reported 65% complete doesn't appear to match the visible progress in Thursday's photo.

Based on a typical no-frills building WBS, site prep plus superstructure is roughly 40%. The walls aren’t even topped out yet.

The roof, envelope, interiors and commissioning make up the remaining 60% and are not yet evident.

Trump has said the ballroom will include a drone-proof, missile-proof roof, plus premium Versailles-inspired finishes, fittings and furnishings. With all that still to come, that 65% complete is a hard sell.

Did Blanche lie to SCOTUS, and does it matter anymore?

US supreme court lets Trump continue work on White House ballroom for now | Donald Trump | The Guardian

4 minutes ago, LosLobo said:

The reported 65% complete doesn't appear to match the visible progress in Thursday's photo.

Based on a typical no-frills building WBS, site prep plus superstructure is roughly 40%. The walls aren’t even topped out yet.

The roof, envelope, interiors and commissioning make up the remaining 60% and are not yet evident.

Trump has said the ballroom will include a drone-proof, missile-proof roof, plus premium Versailles-inspired finishes, fittings and furnishings. With all that still to come, that 65% complete is a hard sell.

Did Blanche lie to SCOTUS, and does it matter anymore?

US supreme court lets Trump continue work on White House ballroom for now | Donald Trump | The Guardian

Aseannow construction expert™️ strikes again.

It is a litigation number that bundles underground and structural work.

He is going to find out all these vanity projects are going to bite him in the

arse in 85 days time , we need gold horses ,a flag blue pool, we must have

an Arc de Trump ,a golden ballroom , BUT Donald what about the kids

dieing because you cancelled USAID , the American people who are really

struggling with grocery prices , price of gas, rent, and healthcare .

He does not give a sh-it about anybody else but HIM and his Billionaire friends,

he is going to be a lame duck president ,and it is going to be all his fault , but

he will blame everybody else , what a loser...

regards worgeordie

12 minutes ago, LosLobo said:

The reported 65% complete doesn't appear to match the visible progress in Thursday's photo.

Based on a typical no-frills building WBS, site prep plus superstructure is roughly 40%. The walls aren’t even topped out yet.

The roof, envelope, interiors and commissioning make up the remaining 60% and are not yet evident.

Trump has said the ballroom will include a drone-proof, missile-proof roof, plus premium Versailles-inspired finishes, fittings and furnishings. With all that still to come, that 65% complete is a hard sell.

Did Blanche lie to SCOTUS, and does it matter anymore?

US supreme court lets Trump continue work on White House ballroom for now | Donald Trump | The Guardian

premium Versailles-inspired finishes

Versailles inspired, LOL.

Translation: They're bringing in the finest Italian inspired workmen from New Jersey

1 hour ago, FinChin67 said:

The White House belongs to the presidency. Not the National Trust or whatever activist lawyers are LARPing as constitutional scholars this week.

Lower courts tried to freeze a half-finished project on pure process theater; Roberts correctly hit pause. The same people who are screaming “fascism” over a ballroom were silent when previous administrations spent billions on their own pet renovations and preferred consultants.

Anything that looks like progress or actually gets built is pure poison to Democrats and their commie cheerleaders. especially if Trump’s name is anywhere near it.

Watching them contort themselves to declare every improvement “<deleted>” never gets old.

Selective outrage isn’t principle, it’s just the usual script as we can see in almost all the threads here about Trump.

The White House belongs to the American people, not whoever occupies the office. 'The presidency' is an office, not an owner.

Saying 'previous presidents renovated' doesn't prove this project is lawful—or that the challenge is partisan. That's a textbook non sequitur. Presidents who spent 'billions' got congressional approval first.

Get back to me when you can form a factual and logical argument.

Does anyone know how big the ballroom will be?

Will it be big enough to ball?

And, how will it be used.

Will trump's ballroom compare favorably to this one:

Will it be big enough to ball?

Apparently not much room for balls

Are needed anymore

In the Republican Party

Although I think Darline Graham's

Are bigger than her late brother's

Google Tate Brothers arrest Capri pants if you don't believe me 😀

Edited August 22Aug 22 by SiSePuede419
bigger balls than her brother

11 minutes ago, LosLobo said:

The White House belongs to the American people, not whoever occupies the office. 'The presidency' is an office, not an owner.

Saying 'previous presidents renovated' doesn't prove this project is lawful—or that the challenge is partisan. That's a textbook non sequitur. Presidents who spent 'billions' got congressional approval first.

Get back to me when you can form a factual and logical argument.

he White House belongs to the American people and the American people just elected Trump to run it. Not the permanent bureaucracy, not the media, and not every midwit on aseannow who suddenly discovered “process” the second a Republican walks through the door.

“The presidency is an office, not an owner” is cute rhetoric from you. Previous presidents renovated, expanded, and redecorated for decades. When they did it, it was “stewardship.” When Trump does it, it’s suddenly a constitutional crisis 😁

"they got congressional approval” line is selective memory at its finest. Plenty of past projects moved forward under existing authorities, private funding, or standard executive discretion. Funny how those details only matter now. Oh, it's the TRUMP factor...

If your entire argument is “Trump can’t touch the building without a permission slip from the same swamp that tried to stop him from taking office,” you’re not defending the people’s house. You’re just larping as a constitutional scholar because you hate the current tenant.

Come back when your standards apply to every president (or autopen in your case) and not just the one you can’t stand.

Rant on, Trump IS your president now.

Why do we need a full hospital, bomb shelter, and top-secret military operational facilities, under a ball room?

We can never have enough security.

It's like.....they expect to live .....forever.......

Edited August 22Aug 22 by GammaGlobulin

Like Roberts was ever going to do anything else.

53 minutes ago, FinChin67 said:

he White House belongs to the American people and the American people just elected Trump to run it. Not the permanent bureaucracy, not the media, and not every midwit on aseannow who suddenly discovered “process” the second a Republican walks through the door.

“The presidency is an office, not an owner” is cute rhetoric from you. Previous presidents renovated, expanded, and redecorated for decades. When they did it, it was “stewardship.” When Trump does it, it’s suddenly a constitutional crisis 😁

"they got congressional approval” line is selective memory at its finest. Plenty of past projects moved forward under existing authorities, private funding, or standard executive discretion. Funny how those details only matter now. Oh, it's the TRUMP factor...

If your entire argument is “Trump can’t touch the building without a permission slip from the same swamp that tried to stop him from taking office,” you’re not defending the people’s house. You’re just larping as a constitutional scholar because you hate the current tenant.

Come back when your standards apply to every president (or autopen in your case) and not just the one you can’t stand.

Rant on, Trump IS your president now.

Your ranting gish-gallop of misinformation, tossed into a salad of straw men, false equivalences, non sequiturs, whataboutism and ad hominem attacks, dressed with a complete absence of reasoning, doesn’t quite meet the standard of a factual, logical argument—in the real world. Bon appétit.

3 minutes ago, LosLobo said:

Your ranting gish-gallop of misinformation, tossed into a salad of straw men, false equivalences, non sequiturs, whataboutism and ad hominem attacks, dressed with a complete absence of reasoning, doesn’t quite meet the standard of a factual, logical argument—in the real world. Bon appétit.

Is that a chat-gpt reply?

Anyways, win next election and destroy everything what Trump has built. Thats your side expertise.

4 minutes ago, FinChin67 said:

Is that a chat-gpt reply?

Anyways, win next election and destroy everything what Trump has built. Thats your side expertise.

If it was Obama or Biden doing it, they wouldn't say a word.

Like when Obama deported 3 million and that was fine. But when Trump does it, the sky is falling and democracy is at risk.

44 minutes ago, FinChin67 said:

Anyways, win next election and destroy everything what Trump has built. Thats your side expertise.

“Built”??? What has Trump “built”? He’s destroyed our alliances. He’s destroyed any trust in the US as a partner in anything. He’s destroyed the integrity of his office, and he’s destroyed the Republican Party. He’s in the process of destroying the US health care system, environmental protection, and wilderness areas. He’s destroyed the physical structure of the White House, and, somehow, he’s managed to destroy the Kennedy Center and the Reflecting Pool. It took talent to do that.

 

“Built.” Give me a break. Oh, I know -- he’s built his own personal wealth, to the tune of, what was it, $2.2 billion in income since the beginning of his second term. If this is what you admire in a civil servant, I suggest you go back to a junior-high-school-level civics class.

1 hour ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Why do we need a full hospital, bomb shelter, and top-secret military operational facilities, under a ball room?

We can never have enough security.

It's like.....they expect to live .....forever.......

I think that they expect the regime to last forever...

Mind you, wasn't there another regime. Some 80 years ago in Europe, whose leader continued planning grand structures right up until the last days.

Didn't he have a thing for.bunkers as well?

1 hour ago, Cory1848 said:

“Built”??? What has Trump “built”? He’s destroyed our alliances. He’s destroyed any trust in the US as a partner in anything. He’s destroyed the integrity of his office, and he’s destroyed the Republican Party. He’s in the process of destroying the US health care system, environmental protection, and wilderness areas. He’s destroyed the physical structure of the White House, and, somehow, he’s managed to destroy the Kennedy Center and the Reflecting Pool. It took talent to do that.

 

“Built.” Give me a break. Oh, I know -- he’s built his own personal wealth, to the tune of, what was it, $2.2 billion in income since the beginning of his second term. If this is what you admire in a civil servant, I suggest you go back to a junior-high-school-level civics class.

Gotta answer your temper tantrum.

Trump rebuilt American energy dominance. He forced NATO freeloaders to pay up, He delivered the Abraham Accords. He won the popular vote twice while the permanent class plotted against him.

You call that destruction because he refused to keep subsidizing allies, open borders, and your preferred narratives. That's what weak (bought) leaders would do.

The White House, Kennedy Center, Reflecting Pool “destroyed”? That’s just maintenance and upgrades you only notice when the wrong guy is in office. Pure cope.

The $2.2 billion line? A successful businessman made money. Shocking. Surprise for commies and socialists that someone makes money.

Meanwhile you ignore every previous president who left richer (sold his country for highest bidder) and every swamp creature who monetized public service without a peep.

You’re not defending institutions. You’re just having a public meltdown because the voters keep choosing him over people like you.

Sit down.

36 minutes ago, FinChin67 said:

Gotta answer your temper tantrum.

Trump rebuilt American energy dominance. He forced NATO freeloaders to pay up, He delivered the Abraham Accords. He won the popular vote twice while the permanent class plotted against him.

You call that destruction because he refused to keep subsidizing allies, open borders, and your preferred narratives. That's what weak (bought) leaders would do.

The White House, Kennedy Center, Reflecting Pool “destroyed”? That’s just maintenance and upgrades you only notice when the wrong guy is in office. Pure cope.

The $2.2 billion line? A successful businessman made money. Shocking. Surprise for commies and socialists that someone makes money.

Meanwhile you ignore every previous president who left richer (sold his country for highest bidder) and every swamp creature who monetized public service without a peep.

You’re not defending institutions. You’re just having a public meltdown because the voters keep choosing him over people like you.

Sit down.

Fun Facts:

Trump rebuilt American energy dominance?
The U.S. was already the world's largest oil producer before Trump returned, and U.S. energy production hit records in 2024 under Biden.

He delivered the Abraham Accords?
Peace agreements between countries that were never at war, while ignoring Palestine, along with moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, which likely precipitated the Israel-Gaza war.

4 hours ago, LosLobo said:

Fun Facts:

Trump rebuilt American energy dominance?
The U.S. was already the world's largest oil producer before Trump returned, and U.S. energy production hit records in 2024 under Biden.

He delivered the Abraham Accords?
Peace agreements between countries that were never at war, while ignoring Palestine, along with moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, which likely precipitated the Israel-Gaza war.

Corrected facts:

The U.S. was already #1 before Trump returned in 2025. It became #1 in 2018 under Trump. Production kept rising afterward because private companies kept drilling after the regulatory brakes came off. Biden inherited the boom and couldn’t fully kill it, even while pausing leases and talking about ‘no more drilling.’ Volume records under Biden don’t erase who unlocked the dominance in the first place.”

“Countries that were never at war” is the weakest possible cope.

Those same countries spent decades refusing formal relations with Israel because of the old Arab consensus. Trump’s team smashed that freeze and got actual normalization deals signed - UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan. That’s not nothing. That’s the biggest diplomatic breakthrough in the region in a generation.

“Ignoring Palestine” wasn’t a bug. It was the entire point. Every previous approach held the whole Middle East hostage to the Palestinian issue and delivered zero. Trump decoupled the two and got results. The people still stuck on the old formula are just mad it worked without them.

And blaming the 2018 embassy move for the 2023 October 7 massacre is pure fantasy. Hamas planned that attack for years. Pretending a U.S. embassy decision “precipitated” it is just another way to avoid admitting the Accords proved peace was possible without rewarding rejectionism. That’s why it has to be smeared.

Trump is now your president.

16 hours ago, FinChin67 said:

destroy everything what Trump has built.

That's definitely not AI

That's natural stupidity, intentional ignorance by any other name.

Here's what something intelligent would say...

Trump truly has built something quite grand. His greatest construction project is the world’s largest monument to failure. Bankruptcies, failed businesses, broken promises, and self-congratulation.

Casinos that went through multiple bankruptcies!

Failed ventures ranging from Trump University and Trump Steaks to the Trump Shuttle!

Let's bow down to the Great Fake Businessman born with an inheritance.

And, fittingly, his current White House legacy project is a $400M+ ballroom and major renovations, a diasterous mess of illegal actions.

Oh glorious leader!

Gaze upon all the wreckage he hath built.

It doesn't get any dumber than worshipping a conman by religious wackjobs like Steven Cheung, who I suspect styles himself as a financial JENIUS and is Fin Chin himself. 😄

17 hours ago, FinChin67 said:

Is that a chat-gpt reply?

Anyways, win next election and destroy everything what Trump has built. Thats your side expertise.

Be weary of a response with an em dash

14 hours ago, FinChin67 said:

Gotta answer your temper tantrum.

Trump rebuilt American energy dominance. He forced NATO freeloaders to pay up, He delivered the Abraham Accords. He won the popular vote twice while the permanent class plotted against him.

You call that destruction because he refused to keep subsidizing allies, open borders, and your preferred narratives. That's what weak (bought) leaders would do.

The White House, Kennedy Center, Reflecting Pool “destroyed”? That’s just maintenance and upgrades you only notice when the wrong guy is in office. Pure cope.

The $2.2 billion line? A successful businessman made money. Shocking. Surprise for commies and socialists that someone makes money.

Meanwhile you ignore every previous president who left richer (sold his country for highest bidder) and every swamp creature who monetized public service without a peep.

You’re not defending institutions. You’re just having a public meltdown because the voters keep choosing him over people like you.

Sit down.

Trump won the popular vote once (in 2024), not twice. His business “success” is basically grift: he made boatloads of money in crypto transactions while individual investors lost, as the value of their investments plummeted. And he would not have been able to pull that off were it not for his position as president. You admire that kind of “business”? Good for you! While I favor Israel opening diplomatic relations with more countries and give Trump a certain amount of credit for that, unilateral US recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the Western Sahara as part of that deal certainly raised some eyebrows. Again, such negotiations are conventionally done in concert with allies, of whom the US now has practically none.

 

You have no understanding of how NATO defense spending obligations work, and apparently you’re willing to believe the countless lies that Trump belches out on any given day. I don’t know how much you’ve mentally invested in this monstrosity, but at some point, you’re going to have to cut your losses, as millions of disgusted Trump voters have already done. Good luck with that.