The East Wing of the White House is gone. Construction was supposed to start in two weeks, but then something happened the lawsuit over Trump’s construction of a ballroom in the White House.
The conservationists who sued Trump have won.
Not only did the judge block construction of the ballroom, but he also ruled that Trump does not have the authority to carry out construction projects at the White House without congressional approval.
The President of the United States is the steward of the White House for future generations of First Families. However, he is not the owner! President Trump (“the President”) claims that Congress has given him authority in existing statutes to build his East Wing ballroom project and to do so with private money. The plaintiff, the National Trust for Historic Preservation of the United States (“National Trust”), claims that the President does not have such authority under existing statutes and that a preliminary injunction is necessary to prevent irreparable harm.
I have come to the conclusion that the National Trust is likely to succeed on its merits because no statute comes close to giving the President the authority he claims to have. As such, I must therefore grant the National Trust’s motion for a preliminary injunction, and the ballroom construction project must halt until Congress authorizes its completion.
The White House is located in a national park that is not owned by any particular president, but the most important part of this ruling, which in my opinion is being overlooked, is the required authorization from Congress.
Below, let’s see how one judge restored the system of checks and balances.
