Appeals court says Trump White House ballroom construction can proceed for now
By Devan Cole, CNN
(CNN) — A federal appeals court said Saturday that President Donald Trump can move ahead for another week with construction of a massive new White House ballroom while judges consider the project.
The 2-1 order from the DC Circuit Court of Appeals is a temporary win for Trump in a protracted legal fight over whether he has the authority to build the ballroom on the site of the former East Wing without express approval from Congress.
The appeals court said work on the project can continue until at least April 17. The court sent the case back down to a federal judge who initially ruled against it, saying he needed to look closer at the White House’s argument that construction must continue for national security and safety reasons.
“We cannot fairly determine, on this hurried record, whether and to what extent the district court’s ‘necessary for safety and security’ exception addresses defendants’ claims,” the court said in its unsigned ruling.
The two judges who decided to send the case back down were appointed by former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden. The dissenting judge was appointed by Trump during his first term.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated with additional information.
The-CNN-Wire
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