New Delhi, Aug. 7 -- In a major setback to President Donald Trump's administration, a US federal appeals court on Friday (local time) ordered a stop to a $400 million ballroom on the site of the White House's demolished East Wing.

Last year, the National Trust for Historic Preservation sued the Republican administration after it tore down the East Wing and began building a 90,000-square-foot (8,360-square-meter) ballroom without seeking authorisation from Congress.

In a divided 2-1 order, the Washington-based US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld a preliminary injunction won by the trust.

"Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-h...