US Supreme Court allows Trump’s ballroom project to continue for now

The United States Supreme Court will allow President Donald Trump to continue his $400m White House ballroom project for now, temporarily pausing a judicial order that would halt much of the development.

US Chief Justice John Roberts signed a temporary order on Friday allowing work to proceed while the court considers an emergency appeal from the Trump administration.

Lower courts had ordered a halt to the $400m project, finding that it must have congressional approval. That ruling was set to take effect on Friday. Roberts signed the order because he oversees appeals of cases based in the Washington, DC, area.

The case comes before the nation’s highest court as Trump, a Republican, seeks to expand presidential power and mould the capital in his own image.

The Trump administration has scored a series of victories on the high court’s emergency docket, though the justices have ruled against some of the president’s signature policies after fuller review.

The court skews conservative, with six justices appointed by right-wing presidents, compared to three named by left-leaning leaders.

Shortly after the temporary order was announced, Trump celebrated Roberts’s decision on social media, saying he was “grateful” to the court. He also added that the ballroom would be “THE GREATEST OF ITS KIND”.

“It is something that Presidents have wanted for 150 years, and that the Military has been seeking for the last 100 years. Their wish will soon be fulfilled,” he wrote .