President Donald Trump announced that he will take the dispute over the construction of the new White House ballroom to the Supreme Court, after a federal appeals court determined that the administration does not have the authority to move forward with the project without congressional approval.

The judicial decision represents a new clash between the White House and the courts, since the panel of judges of the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit confirmed that the construction of the space, valued at approximately $400 million, must remain stopped while the legal process is defined.

In a split 2-1 ruling, the justices noted that the presidential residence belongs to the American people and that the president cannot modify important parts of the complex without legislative authorization.

“Each president is a temporary tenant, not the owner, of the White House,” the justices wrote in the ruling, arguing that control over federal property rests with Congress.

Trump accuses political motivations

After learning of the resolution, Trump assured that he would appeal “immediately” before the highest judicial body in the country and described the decision as “horrendous, politically motivated and illegal.”

In a publication on his social network Truth Social, the president defended the project and stated that the new space is part of a national security strategy.

“The Armed Forces and Secret Service view this horrendous, politically motivated and illegal ruling as a threat to our nation's national security,” Trump wrote.

The president maintained that the construction includes advanced protection elements, such as underground facilities, reinforced structures and systems designed to protect future presidents, officials and visitors to the White House.

He also questioned why the lawsuit was filed after work began and asserted that much of the project is already built or in the process of being installed.

Conservation group celebrates court ruling

CBS News revealed that the lawsuit was filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, an organization that argued that the Trump administration initiated major changes to the White House without complying with appropriate federal processes.

Brent Leggs, the group's president and CEO, said he was pleased with the ruling and said the resolution protects a historic symbol of the country.

“The White House, a global landmark that symbolizes American identity and the ideals of democracy, belongs to the American people,” declared Leggs, according to the aforementioned media.

Judge Neomi Rao, appointed by Trump, presented a dissenting opinion and held that the plaintiff group had no standing to stop the work.

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