A federal appeals court dealt Trump's $400 million White House ballroom project another setback Friday, with a divided panel voting 2-1 to uphold a lower court's injunction blocking construction until Congress signs off.

The ruling is the latest twist in a legal fight that's dragged on for months. Back in March, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon halted the project, finding the National Trust for Historic Preservation was likely to succeed on its claim that no statute comes close to giving the President the authority he's claiming here. Leon didn't mince words about the limits of presidential ownership, either — as he put it, the President is a steward of the White House for future generations, not its owner, PBS News reports.

The administration appealed, and got a reprieve in April when a three-judge panel let construction proceed while the case played out. That reprieve is now over. The appeals court's latest order upholds Leon's injunction, dealing another blow to a project that's already seen its price tag double from initial estimates and required tearing down the East Wing entirely.

During arguments, a Justice Department attorney tried to frame this as an issue beyond judicial reach, insisting courts have no business second-guessing a privately funded project — and argued that the preservation group's aesthetic objections shouldn't outweigh national security concerns, on the theory that the old East Wing left the White House exposed. A lawyer for the National Trust wasn't buying it, countering bluntly that the administration doesn't want to deal with Congress, according to CNBC.

Donald J. Trump, for his part, has, of course, continued to defend his vanity project and its ballooning cost, insisting it's necessary to host large events. Whether it moves forward now likely depends on the Supreme Court, which the administration is expected to ask to weigh in.