India, Aug. 9 -- President Donald Trump has repeatedly argued that his proposed $400 million White House ballroom is not simply an event space but a project tied to presidential protection and national security. That claim is now at the center of a legal fight after a federal appeals court blocked construction of the main building while allowing certain security-related work to continue.

Trump says the roughly 90,000-square-foot ballroom is designed to incorporate security infrastructure into the White House complex.

In a social media post following the court ruling, he described the project as essential to protecting the country and said the complex was being built "for the protection of our Country."

According to Trump, the ballroom ...