Donald Trump says White House ballroom plan "approximately twice the size, and a far higher quality"

A federal appeals court ruled Aug. 7 that President Trump’s administration must stop building a $400 million ballroom where the White House’s East Wing once stood, saying Congress must decide whether such a project proceeds. The Washington-based D.C. Circuit, in a 2-1 decision, upheld an injunction sought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The court said presidents are only temporary occupants and lack authority to radically alter the White House on their own. It delayed the ruling by 14 days to allow a possible Supreme Court appeal. Trump had defended the project online in May after its cost doubled, saying the larger expense reflected an upgraded and expanded design. The case tests the limits of presidential power over historic federal property.