A US judge has put a halt to Donald Trump’s construction of a ballroom where the White House’s historic East Wing lies.
Work began on the East Wing last month, demolishing parts of the iconic building that have stood for over 120 years.
Dramatic image were the most visible sign so far of how Trump is seeking to remake the White House in his own image, almost one year after being re-elected as US president.
However, US Judge Richard Leon said unless and until Congress gives statutory authorisation for the plans, construction “has to stop”.
He added: “The President may at any time go to Congress to obtain express authority to construct a ballroom and to do so with private funds. Indeed, Congress may even choose to appropriate funds for the ballroom, or at least decide that some other funding scheme is acceptable.”
President Trump has already responded. In a press event he said: “Basically he's saying, I need congressional approval. And he's so wrong.”
What is Trump changing at the White House?
Trump is building a ballroom where the East Wing currently sits. It is hoped this new structure will allow the White Host to host major functions without the need to install a tent on the grounds.
The East Wing is traditionally home to the First Lady and her staff. It was originally constructed in 1902, and renovated to add a second story in 1942.
Replacing it, and the East Colonnade, will be a much bigger structure - a new colonnade and a ballroom that can host nearly 1,000 guests.
This is not the first change Trump has introduced.
He has also gone for a garish gold theme around the grounds, changing the door frames and picture frames around the residence.
The gold theme is continued elsewhere in the West Wing. The cabinet room has had gold decorations hung on the walls while Trump recently unveiled a new "Presidential Walk of Fame" featuring gold-framed portraits of past US presidents.
The portraits line the West Colonnade, the main walkway between the West Wing and the White House residence, and show every president in chronological order - apart from Joe Biden.
A prominent US flag flies over the new-look Rose Garden - one of two new flag poles installed in June that measure 100ft (30.5m) in height and were paid for by the president.
How much will the White House renovations cost?
Trump has estimated that the renovations will cost some $300m (£225m) and expects it to be completed before the end of his term.
It is being funded, according to Trump, by the president himself, as well as donors including dozens of companies, such as Amazon, Google and Meta, and several billionaire investors.
What has the reaction been?
The White House has said it will be “substantially separated” from the main building, however critics fear the new 90,000 square foot building will dwarf the existing 55,000 square foot White House residence.
Among those to have voiced concern is the leader of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a non-profit group that protects historic US sites, who wrote a letter to White House officials asking for the demolition work to be paused until plans go through a public review process.
Dr Carol Quillen said she was "deeply concerned" that the new building will “overwhelm the White House itself and may also permanently disrupt the carefully balanced classical design of the White House with its two smaller, and lower, East and West Wings”, but just a couple of days after Dr Quillen sent her letter, the East Wing was gone.
The White House Historical Association, an independent organisation that preserves the history of building, also carried out a "comprehensive digital scanning project and photography to create a historic record" before the demolition.
