Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleThe Trump administration requested Supreme Court approval to build a 90,000-square-foot facility and ballroom replacing the demolished White House East Wing. A federal appeals court ruled 2-to-1 that the Constitution gives Congress, not the president, authority to make major alterations to the White House. Administration officials contend the project is essential for national security, detailing plans for a military bunker and rooftop drone port to ensure the president's safety. Construction continues while the Supreme Court deliberates on the administration's appeal ahead of an August 21 deadline. Project costs have escalated from an estimated $200 million to $400 million, supported in part by $300 million transferred from the Secret Service budget. In fullTrump pleads to Supreme Court for permission to build his $400M White House ballroomMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

“No bystander could plausibly prefer to view an unfinished 70-foot-tall superstructure to the finished” ballroom, the Trump administration argued.

President Donald Trump's administration has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow the White House to continue construction on its $400 million ballroom project while it appeals a…