Trump asks Supreme Court to let White House ballroom construction continue

The Trump administration on Friday asked the US Supreme Court to allow construction to continue on the president's $400 million White House ballroom.

It comes a week after an appeals court ruled Donald Trump's ballroom project, planned for the site of the White House's East Wing after it was demolished, lacked congressional approval and ordered above-ground construction to stop .

"This case involves an extraordinary and unlawful injunction that will halt the ongoing construction of the integrated military complex, including a totally secure ballroom space, at the East Wing of the White House, which is vitally required by national security," Trump's Solicitor General D. John Sauer wrote in a petition to the Supreme Court.

Chief Justice John Roberts set a deadline of Tuesday for a response by plaintiffs challenging the ballroom project.

The nonprofit National Trust for Historic Preservation first brought the case after the East Wing was torn down and work began on a 90,000-square-foot (8,360-square-meter) ballroom.

In a 2-1 ruling on August 7, the DC Circuit upheld a lower-court judge's order directing the administration to halt above-ground construction.

"Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help," the appeals court panel wrote.

To justify the need for a secure ballroom, Justice Department lawyers pointed to the July 8 missile threat against Air Force One when Trump was flown out of Turkey aboard a secret flight and other recent assassination attempts.