No court has authority to block Trump’s White House ballroom, DoJ lawyer says

Key points

• No court has the authority to halt construction of Donald Trump’s White House ballroom and a secure underground facility, a Department of Justice lawyer has argued, suggesting only US Congress had the power to stop the project.
• The Trump administration has asked the Washington DC circuit court of appeals to reverse a lower court decision which blocked construction of a $400m ballroom on the site of the White House’s demolished East Wing.
• Construction of a secure bunker for staff underground at the site was allowed to proceed while the dispute between Washington DC preservationists and the White House continues.
• The Trust for Historic Preservation sued the Park Service and the administration in October, after Trump ordered the East Wing’s demolition.
• Construction began without completing – or really even beginning – what can be a lengthy process of review and approvals, as required by district and federal statute.