The US Supreme Court has cleared the way for President Donald Trump to continue construction of a $400m (£297m) ballroom at the White House, overturning lower court rulings that had sought to halt the above-ground portion of the project. The 5-4 decision is a significant win for Trump, who demolished the historic East Wing last autumn to make way for the new building, and comes despite a legal challenge from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which argues the president lacks unilateral authority to proceed.

The National Trust's lawsuit contends that Congress has explicitly prohibited construction on federal grounds in the capital without its express authorisation, a view echoed by the court's three dissenting liberal justices, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts, who wrote that "construction is likely unlawful". Roberts had previously issued a temporary stay on Friday allowing work, including on an accompanying military complex, to continue while the case was considered, and the majority has now extended that permission despite his ultimate opposition.