Appeals Court Halts Trump's White House Ballroom Construction

A federal appeals court in Washington has ordered the Trump administration to halt construction of a $400 million ballroom on the site of the demolished White House East Wing. The 2-1 decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld a preliminary injunction sought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which had sued after the administration began the project without congressional approval.

The court has stayed its ruling for 14 days, giving the administration time to petition the U.S. Supreme Court. The case has already seen two prior injunctions from U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, who blocked above-ground work while permitting underground construction to proceed. Leon, appointed by former President George W. Bush, concluded that no federal statute grants the president the authority to build the ballroom without Congress.

The administration has defended the project as essential for large formal events and for addressing security vulnerabilities linked to the old East Wing. During oral arguments in June, Justice Department attorney Yaakov Roth argued that courts should not interfere with the privately funded undertaking and that national security concerns outweighed the preservation group's objections. Thaddeus Heuer, representing the National Trust, countered that the administration simply avoided seeking legislative approval.

The ballroom is among several Trump initiatives reshaping federal landmarks in Washington. A separate court ruling recently ordered the removal of Trump's name from the Kennedy Center's exterior, determining it had been added illegally.

President Trump has publicly defended the project, noting on Truth Social that costs had doubled because the ballroom is roughly twice the size of the original proposal and built to a higher standard. He promised the finished structure would be "magnificent, safe, and secure."