WASHINGTON (Reuters): A United States federal appeals court on Friday (Aug 7) ordered US President Donald Trump’s administration to stop construction on a US$400 million ballroom on the site of the White House’s demolished East Wing, dealing the Republican leader a major setback in a case testing his presidential authority. The appeals court placed its ruling on hold for 14 days to allow the Trump administration to appeal to the US Supreme Court. Trump appealed after US District Judge Richard Leon twice blocked above-ground construction on the site while allowing underground work to continue. Roth said the National Trust’s “architectural preference” against the ballroom should not take precedence over national security concerns, claiming evidence that the former East Wing left the president and others in the White House vulnerable to attack. Trump has defended his ballroom and its price tag, which has doubled from initial projections.