Judge Weighs Trump's White House Ballroom Project

0:00On March 17th, a federal judge in Washington takes up arguments on Tuesday over President Trump's $400 million White House ballroom. Project, preservation groups won a court order to stop construction on the site of a demolished historic East Wing. The hearing starts at 3.30 p.m., Eastern time before a judge Richard Leon. The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued back in December, right after crews began tearing down the 120-year-old structure. Last October, they argued the President lacks authority for the 90,000-square-foot event space without Congress signing off. This ballroom fits into Trump's larger push to remake parts of the Capitol, like adding a 250-foot arch and updating the Kennedy Center. A fine arts commission he appointed gave it a unanimous 6-to-0 green light in February. Last month, the judge shot down an earlier request to pause work, saying the claims did not hold up. Now the group is back with fresh arguments that the project oversteps executive power

1:00and ignores historic rules for federal parkland. Meanwhile, the Justice Department pushes back hard, calling the upgrades vital for security and preserving the main White House building long-term. I stay glued to the courtroom as this legal fight shakes what happens next on the grounds.