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Federal judge temporarily blocks construction of Trump's White House ballroom

A federal judge in Washington has issued an order temporarily blocking the construction of President Donald Trump's expansive new White House ballroom and any further demolition of the East Wing.
“I have concluded that the National Trust is likely to succeed on the merits because no statute comes close to giving the President the authority he claims to have," wrote U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon, an appointee of President George W. Bush. The ruling blocks the administration “from taking any action in furtherance of the physical development of the proposed ballroom at the former site of the East Wing of the White House, including but not limited to any further demolition, site preparation work, landscape alteration, excavation, foundation work, or other construction or related work, other than actions strictly necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House and its grounds."
Leon paused his order from taking effect for 14 days to allow time for an appeal. The Justice Department filed a notice of appeal roughly 90 minutes after he issued his ruling.
Leon issued the preliminary injunction after having agreed with the plaintiffs that Trump exceeded his authority with the project. Leon wrote that the president of the United States is the “steward of the White House for future generations of First Families.” “He is not, however, the owner!” Leon wrote that “unless and until Congress blesses this project through statutory authorization, construction has to stop!" Congress, he wrote, “is the collective voice of the American people in our system of government,” and "the Constitution itself vests authority over federal property, including the White House, in Congress."
The administration, Leon noted, had argued that the project should not be halted and that "any delay to construction would imperil national security and expose the White House to damage." "Please! While I take seriously the Government’s concerns regarding the safety and security of the White House grounds and the President himself, the existence of a 'large hole' beside the White House is, of course, a problem of the President’s own making!" Carol Quillen, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said the ruling was "a win for the American people on a project that forever impacts one of the most beloved and iconic places in our nation."
Trump spent several minutes talking about the ruling in the Oval Office at a signing event early Tuesday evening."He’s saying I need congressional approval. He’s so wrong," Trump said of the judge. "This is being financed privately." The president also suggested that the judge's direction allowing construction "to ensure the safety and security of the White House and its grounds” means the whole thing can be built, before getting into details about security features in the structure, including ballistic proof glass, drone and "bio-defense" measures, "bomb shelters that we’re building, we have a hospital and very major medical facilities that we’re building." "That's called I'm allowed to continue building," Trump said.
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