US Appeals Court Orders Halt to Trump’s $400 Million White House Ballroom Project

A US federal appeals court has ordered the Trump administration to halt construction of a proposed $400 million ballroom at the White House, ruling that major structural changes to the presidential complex cannot proceed without congressional approval.

In a 2-1 ruling issued Friday, a majority of judges on the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said the president does not own the White House but is instead a temporary occupant. As a result, they ruled, the executive branch does not have unilateral authority to undertake major construction projects there without authorization from Congress.

The decision is being viewed as a significant setback for President Donald Trump’s administration in an ongoing legal battle over the scope of presidential authority.

The ruling leaves in place a preliminary injunction issued by a lower court in a lawsuit brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The organization sued after the Trump administration began demolishing the White House’s East Wing to make way for a roughly 90,000-square-foot ballroom without congressional approval.

The appellate court’s majority said Congress has the authority to decide whether such a large-scale ballroom should be built and that the project cannot be carried out solely at the discretion of the executive branch.

However, the appeals court has temporarily stayed its ruling for 14 days to allow the Trump administration time to seek review by the US Supreme Court.

Following the decision, Trump sharply criticized the ruling on his social media platform, Truth Social. He described it as a “terrible” and politically motivated decision and said his administration would appeal to the Supreme Court.

Trump has argued that the ballroom project is essential for White House security and has described the facility as serving functions similar to a “military center.” He has said the new building would include security measures designed to protect against bomb attacks, as well as medical facilities and systems to counter drones and missiles.

The project’s estimated cost has nearly doubled from its initial projections. Trump said in May that the increase was partly due to the building being nearly twice as large as originally planned and to upgrades in its design and facilities.

Brent Leggs, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, welcomed the appeals court ruling. He said the American public has a right to have a voice in decisions involving historic places such as the White House and that the ruling represents an important affirmation of that principle.

Earlier, US District Judge Richard Leon twice ordered construction work above ground on the ballroom project to be halted. He allowed underground construction to continue, however.

The Trump administration subsequently appealed Leon’s orders, leading to the latest ruling by the federal appeals court.