BREAKING: Trump gets nightmare news about his White House ballroom as a federal judge expresses grave skepticism that he has the legal authority to build it at all.

This is absolutely beautiful…

“Where do you see the authority for the president to tear down the East Wing and build something in its place?” Judge Richard Leon asked Justice Department lawyers.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is suing to halt construction on Trump’s $400 million ballroom, a corrupt vanity project that’s being bankrolled by donations from large corporations.

Judge Leon stated that Trump is trying to carry out an “end run” around congressional oversight by using those private donations to pay for the construction.

He slammed the administration’s convoluted argument that Interior Department authority permits the project as a “Rube Goldberg contraption” that requires an “expansive interpretation of the language” of federal law.

The law in question is only supposed to permit “very small sized projects” using taxpayer dollars for White House maintenance.

“It’s not (for) $400 million worth of destruction and construction,” Judge Leon said.

The judge also demanded that the DOJ attorneys explain how Trump could possibly have legal authority to quickly demolish the East Wing for his ballroom.

“You compare that to ripping down the East Wing and building a new East Wing? C’mon. Be serious,” he said when the attorneys absurdly tried to compare the ballroom project to Gerald Ford building a swimming pool in 1975.

The judge stated that he does not plan on ruling on the issue this month, but could issue his decision next month. Trump plans to begin the aboveground construction in April, meaning a bad ruling for Trump could stop his plan dead in its tracks.

“The president is a temporary resident of the White House. He’s not the landlord,” said Tad Heuer, an attorney representing the preservationists in this case.

“He’s a steward,” replied Judge Leon.

Do you think that Trump should be forced to abandon his ballroom and rebuild the East Wing with his own money?