The Republican-appointed judge ruled that Trump was a "steward" of the White House, not the owner.

A US judge has temporarily halted President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom construction project, ruling that proper procedures were not followed before the project began.

The decision comes after the White House was sued by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

“(U)nless and until Congress blesses this project through statutory authorization, construction has to stop!” said Judge Richard Leon in a ruling with a number of exclamation points.