A federal appeals court issued a 2-1 decision on August 7, halting construction on President Donald Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom. The court determined that above-ground work on the project cannot proceed without explicit authorization from Congress.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit panel upheld a March 31 ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Leon, which stated that no construction could move forward absent congressional approval. While that initial ruling had been temporarily stayed in April to allow for judicial review, the latest decision reinforces the requirement for legislative oversight.
The court has granted a two-week stay of its ruling, providing the administration time to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. President Trump announced via Truth Social that his administration would be “immediately appealing to the Supreme Court,” labeling the two judges who ruled against him as appointees of former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden. He further declared, “This unjust decision must be overturned by the Supreme Court in its entirety.”
In their opinion, Judge Patricia Millett and Judge Brad Garcia noted that they were unaware of any historical precedent where a president unilaterally used private funds to demolish significant parts of the White House that were originally authorized by Congress and funded by taxpayers. The administration has countered that halting the project would leave the Executive Mansion exposed and create severe national security risks for the president, his family, and staff.
Despite the halt on the ballroom, the court’s ruling permits the continuation of below-ground work. This includes the construction of bunkers, bomb shelters, and military or medical infrastructure, as well as any above-ground work deemed strictly necessary to secure and protect those subterranean facilities.
President Trump emphasized the necessity of the project in his social media post, describing it as an integrated unit containing state-of-the-art medical facilities, protective missile-resistant steel, and blast-proof glass. He characterized the project as vital for national security and military operations. The construction began last October after the East Wing was demolished to make way for the 90,000-square-foot ballroom, which is financed through private contributions.
The legal challenge originated in December when the National Trust for Historic Preservation sued the administration, arguing that the project bypassed legally mandated review processes. Following the August 7 ruling, National Trust CEO Brent Leggs praised the decision as a significant victory for historic preservation.
“This decision is particularly meaningful as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and advocate for renewed protections for historic preservation,” Leggs stated, adding that the White House belongs to the American people as a symbol of democracy. The controversy surrounding the project deepened in March, when President Trump revealed that the ballroom was designed to conceal a “massive military complex” beneath the structure, a detail he claimed was intended to remain secret until the lawsuit forced its disclosure.
Leon’s ruling on March 31, saying that no work can proceed “absent express authorization from Congress.” That ruling had been put on hold by the U.S.
It is all tied together as one big, expensive, and very complex unit, which is vital for National Security and Military Operations of the United States of America!”
