The Trump administration has been ordered to stop construction on President Donald Trump’s $400m (£297m) ballroom at the White House.

A federal appeals court dealt the latest setback to the controversial project on Friday, testing Trump’s presidential authority and paving the way for a Supreme Court showdown on appeal.

“Whether or not a ⁠massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help,” the panel’s ​majority said.

The order upholds a preliminary ​injunction won by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which sued after the administration tore down the ​East Wing last year to begin the project without congressional approval.

“Congress has not ceded unfettered authority to the Executive Branch to dramatically redesign, reshape, and reconstruct the White House — the People’s ​House — to fit a particular President’s desires,” the panel said.

The administration appealed to the court after a federal judge twice blocked above-ground construction on the ballroom, while still allowing underground work to proceed.

The appeals court delayed implementation of its ruling to stop contruction for 14 days to allow the Trump administration to appeal to the Supreme Court.

The BBC has contacted the White House for comment.

President Trump has asserted that the new ballroom is needed to “accommodate people for grand parties, State Visits”, and has also said that it is “vital for National Security”.

He doubled down on the need for the space after an assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in April.

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