A federal judge blocked above-ground construction on a $400 million White House ballroom but allowed below-ground work to continue—so construction wasn't fully halted, contradicting the post's opening claim. The $400 million price tag from corporate donors is confirmed by NBC Washington reporting. Reich's characterization as 'one of the most corrupt things a president has ever done' is opinion unsupported by comparative analysis, and the linked YouTube source is not a news outlet. The legal question—whether this arrangement violates ethics rules or public trust—remains contested among legal scholars, but the factual premise that work was completely 'halted' is inaccurate.