President Donald Trump‘s controversial White House ballroom project has been given the go-ahead by a key agency, despite a court order to halt construction.
The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) approved the ballroom project on Thursday, reported PBS News. NCPC spokesperson Stephen Staudigl stated that the judge’s ruling applies to construction activities, not the planning process, which is why the vote was allowed to proceed.
The 12-member commission, which includes three of Trump’s appointees, originally intended to vote in March. However, due to an overwhelming number of public comments, the vote was delayed until Thursday.
Before Thursday’s vote, the commission reviewed design changes to the president’s planned 90,000-square-foot ballroom, which were influenced by feedback from federal planning bodies and public input, though no official reason for the revisions was given, reported the publication.
Trump thanked the NCPC on Truth Social for overwhelmingly approving the White House ballroom project in an 8–1 vote, highlighting Senator Rand Paul’s (R-Ky.) support as notable.
Legal Hurdle Looms
This development comes after a federal judge, Richard Leon, ordered work on the ballroom to stop unless Congress approved it, marking a setback for one of Trump’s signature Washington makeover plans and setting up another legal fight between the administration and preservationists.
A U.S. judge allowed 14 days for appeal while permitting work related to White House security to continue. Trump, speaking from the Oval Office on Tuesday, vowed to appeal the decision, arguing that the judge was “wrong” to require congressional approval as private donors, not taxpayers, are financing the ballroom.
Despite the NCPC’s approval, the ongoing legal dispute and the judge’s ruling could potentially hinder the progress of Trump’s $400 million ballroom, which is set to be the most significant structural change to the White House in over 70 years.
Notably, Trump had offered to build a ballroom in the White House during former President Barack Obama‘s tenure in 2010, revealed ex-senior White House advisor David Axelrod.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Image Credit: Jasper Colt-USA TODAY via Imagn
Recent Comments