Federal appeals court blocks construction on Trump's White House ballroom

The Washington-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled 2-1 Friday upholding a preliminary injunction, stopping construction on a $400 million ballroom on the White House's demolished East Wing. 

The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued last year after the Trump administration tore down the East Wing to build a 90,000-square-foot ballroom without authorization from Congress, CNBC reported. 

Trump appealed after a district judge twice blocked above-ground construction on the site, while allowing work underground to continue. The judge had ruled that no federal statute granted Trump authority to construct the ballroom without congressional approval. 

The appeals court placed its ruling on hold for 14 days to allow the Trump administration to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.