Topline

The Trump administration will not have to stop construction yet on its White House ballroom, as the Supreme Court temporarily blocked a court order against the construction Friday while it weighs a lengthier ruling.

Key Facts

The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to block lower court rulings that found President Donald Trump did not have authority to build the ballroom without Congress’ approval, and ordered the government to stop construction.

Chief Justice John Roberts issued a brief order Friday that blocks the lower court’s decision “pending further order” from the Supreme Court.

That means construction on the ballroom will continue until the Supreme Court issues a more lasting order on whether or not construction should be halted while the litigation plays out.

Justices faced a Friday deadline to rule on the issue, as an appeals court ruling halting construction was set to take effect if they hadn’t ruled, or had upheld the lower court’s decision.

The Trump administration has argued stopping construction could threaten national security and puts the uncompleted structure at risk of collapse, while the National Trust for Historic Preservation argues construction has to be stopped now before it’s too late.

What to Watch for

Roberts did not give any indication in his order Friday about when the court could issue a more lasting decision in the case. The Trump administration has also suggested it’s likely to ask the Supreme Court to hear oral arguments and issue a final decision on whether or not it’s legally allowed to build the ballroom, but it hasn’t formally filed that request yet.

Big Number

At least $600 million. That’s how much the White House ballroom is expected to cost, according to estimates reported by The Washington Post in June. The White House initially estimated the project would cost $200 million, later raising that to $400 million, but the Post found the actual price has ballooned even higher. Trump has claimed the project will be funded entirely by private donors—an allegation repeated in the government’s Supreme Court petition, which argued, “Zero taxpayer dollars are needed or required.” The Post found taxpayers will actually be on the hook for approximately half the costs of the ballroom construction, however.

How Far Along Is The Ballroom?

The White House has said in recent court filings that the ballroom is approximately 65% constructed, claiming crews have been working around the clock to finish building. The Trump administration has argued it would be “dangerous” to halt construction now while the project is so far along, claiming in a filing that abandoning construction “would leave an unstable, unfinished 70-foot-tall structure on White House grounds, putting the complex at risk and thwarting Secret Service protection.”

This story is breaking and will be updated.