Trump’s White House Ballroom Design Approved After One Hearing

The US Commission of Fine Arts, an independent federal agency made up of Donald Trump appointees, approved the design of the president’s planned White House ballroom after a single hearing, despite ongoing litigation and public outcry.

While the presentation on Thursday was limited in scope to a design concept for the new addition, the agency made the decision to vote to approve it in full as a final plan, which means that no further hearings on the ballroom will take place. Trump thanked the panel in a social media post after the decision. He has said the project will cost as much as $400 million, ...