US Supreme Court unfreezes Trump's White House ballroom project

US President Donald Trump returns to the campaign trail in South Carolina to stump for Senator Darline Graham, his chosen candidate to replace her late brother Senator Lindsey Graham.

This after the Supreme Court issues a temporary stay that freezes lower court rulings that would have forced a halt to aboveground construction in the White House.

Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court, John Roberts, signed a temporary order on Friday that allows the White House to continue construction on President Donald Trump's 400-million-US-dollar, privately funded ballroom, while the court weighs on an emergency appeal from the administration.

The court filings show Trump officials have claimed the renovation was 65% complete as of August 14 and a 250-person crew was working 20 hours a day, seven days a week on the planned 8,400-square-metre ballroom where the East Wing stood.

Justice Department lawyers also echoed the administration's contention that the ballroom project is a security necessity, citing recent assassination attempts against the president.

However, a spokesperson for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which argued Trump has no unilateral authority to undertake the construction, responded on the same day that the order from Judge Roberts is not a final decision and the group awaits further action from the court.

Speaking to thousands during a campaign in Myrtle Beach Friday night, Trump opened his remarks by declaring he was in a good mood after the top court greenlit his construction projects for now.

In an urgent bid to save Darline Graham's candidacy, the president said she's somebody he has known for a long time and pointed out the first step in sending her to the Senate involves helping her win Tuesday's runoff election against five-term congressman Representative Ralph Norman.

Trump has encouraged the Republican base voters to come out to vote to preserve tax cuts, among other things, pretending he's on the ballot - even though he is not.

Trump further noted choosing Darline Graham would be a tribute to her late brother, adding "I want it to happen."

"Elect Senator Darlene Graham to fight, fight, fight for South Carolina and to always put America first. She only knows how to put America first. She will be somebody you're going to be very proud. You vote for her. You're going to be very proud of that vote."

At another point, Trump performed his signature reading of the lyrics of the 1960s song "The Snake," which he has used in the past to warn about border security.

Darline Graham was a political novice just weeks ago. She was picked by Governor Henry McMaster to serve as interim senator to fill the seat of her brother, the veteran foreign policy hawk Lindsey Graham who suddenly died from a heart condition, to enter the special Republican primary election at Trump's urging.

Graham has nodded to the reality that she was focused on kitchen table issues such as gas prices and household spending rather than international affairs and admitted she was "not a polished politician" when she stumbled on a question about US interests in Taiwan.

She said, "They say I'm not a politician. You know what I say? Guilty as charged," and stressed border security and passing the SAVE Act voting bill are among her core goals.