Construction of Trumpʼs $200 million ballroom suspended again in the US

In the US, a court has again suspended the construction of Donald Trumpʼs ballroom in the White House, but allowed work to continue on an underground bunker.

The BBC writes about this.

The judge stressed that Congress must approve the project. He said Trump is trying to circumvent a previous court ruling by reclassifying the ballroom plan as vital to national security.

The decision came after a lawsuit from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. In the lawsuit, the preservation group alleged that the White House violated the law when it began construction: it failed to submit plans to the National Capital Planning Commission, failed to request an environmental assessment of the project, and refused to obtain permission from Congress.

The group also emphasized that Trump is violating the US Constitution, "which reserves to Congress the right to dispose of and establish all regulations regarding property belonging to the United States".

Trump responded by accusing the judge of "trying to prevent future presidents and world leaders from having a safe and secure place to hold large meetings".

• The White House reported plans to build a new ballroom in July. The ballroom project calls for the construction of a large complex of more than 80 000 square meters on the site of the East Wing.
• Trump himself was personally involved in the design, from planning to material selection. The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit against the construction.

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