Donald Trump says the White House ballroom project "will be magnificent, safe, and secure"

A federal appeals court ordered the Trump administration to halt work on a $400 million White House ballroom, ruling that the president cannot unilaterally transform the mansion without congressional approval. The Washington-based D.C. Circuit backed an injunction won by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which sued after the East Wing was razed and construction of a 90,000-square-foot ballroom began. The court majority said presidents are only temporary occupants and that security concerns do not override legal limits. The ruling is stayed for 14 days, allowing an appeal to the Supreme Court. Trump, defending the project after its cost doubled, described it as larger and more refined than first proposed and promised it would be a grand and well-protected addition.