The U.S. Supreme Court has permitted the continued construction of a $400 million ballroom at the White House, in a closely divided 5-4 ruling. The court blocked lower court orders that had sought to halt the project, stating that the lower courts may have gone beyond their authority in trying to stop the work. However, the justices did not directly rule on whether the demolition of the East Wing of the White House was legal. Chief Justice John Roberts, who is generally aligned with the court's conservative wing, joined three liberal justices in dissent. Roberts argued that the construction was likely unlawful because it lacked approval from Congress. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a group dedicated to preserving historic buildings, filed the lawsuit. They claimed that the president does not have the sole power to approve such a major construction project. The White House has stated that the ballroom will be "substantially" completed by November and fully finished by August 2028. Earlier, the Supreme Court had allowed the construction to continue temporarily while the legal challenge was being reviewed. President Donald Trump praised the court's decision, calling the lawsuit "baseless" and expressing relief that it had not stopped the project. He emphasized the importance of the ballroom for hosting events and for security, citing an alleged assassination attempt at a White House Correspondents' Association dinner in April. The National Trust for Historic Preservation argued that the construction was harming a historic site irreversibly. Alison Hoagland, a preservationist and board member of the trust, said she would face "professional and personal injuries" if the ballroom were built. Roberts acknowledged that these injuries were enough to justify the lawsuit continuing. While the trust was disappointed with the court’s decision, it welcomed the strong dissent from Roberts. The ballroom and a new helipad on the South Lawn are part of Trump's broader plan to reshape Washington, D.C.'s skyline. His other projects include renovating the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and proposing a monument called the "Arc de Trump," which would be larger than the famous Arc de Triomphe in Paris.