Judge Halts Trump's $400M White House Ballroom Project

0:00A federal judge just slammed the brakes on President Trump's $400 million White House ballroom project. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon issued a preliminary injunction halting construction on the demolished East Wing site until Congress gives the green light. He ruled the preservationists from the National Trust for Historic Preservation are likely to win, saying no law hands the president, that kind of unchecked power. The judge made it clear the president is just the steward of the White House for future generations, not the outright owner. He carved out an exception for any work needed to keep the place safe and secure after reviewing secret government docs that showed no national. Security risks from the pause. Folks are fired up over this, with the judge calling out the administration's flip-flopping arguments during hearings. He got frustrated comparing the massive ballroom to smaller past rennels, stressing its an iconic national symbol. Preservationists pushed back hard, noting Trump's skipped key federal review panels stacked

1:02with his own allies. The project kicked off last northern summer, with the East Wing already torn down to fit nearly 1,000 people in an 8,400 square meter space. Private donors, including Trump himself, are footing the bill and above groundwork was set to start this month. For now, the orders on hold for 14 days to sort logistics and prep for what looks like a sure appeal. This legal tussle keeps the spotlight on how far executive power stretches when it comes to reshaping histories for unyard. That's your update from Adelaide News Today, powered by AI. I'm Corey with the story.