A federal judge has issued a temporary injunction halting the Trump administration’s $400 million White House ballroom construction, ruling that the project likely exceeded legal authority and lacked proper congressional approval. The National Trust for Historic Preservation challenged the project, citing improper adherence to federal guidelines and questionable funding through private donations funneled via a nonprofit and the National Park Service. Judge Richard Leon criticized the administration’s legal and financial justifications, emphasizing that only Congress can authorize such alterations and funding, and ordered construction to stop unless statutory approval is granted.