Appeals court blocks Trump's White House ballroom construction
The Hill · C · trust 48/100
Comments: by Zach Schonfeld - 08/07/26 10:56 AM ET Comments: Link copied by Zach Schonfeld - 08/07/26 10:56 AM ET Comments: Link copied NOW PLAYING A federal appeals court panel blocked President Trump’s White House ballroom in a 2-1 vote on Friday, saying that work must stop except for below-ground construction, including installations Trump says are needed for security.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit panel ruled that Congress retains control over funding for development at the White House and had not authorized Trump’s project.
The decision sets up a likely Supreme Court showdown. The panel paused its order for two weeks so the Trump administration can try to seek immediate relief from the justices on their emergency docket.
“We are aware of no instance in American history in which a President unilaterally and using privately collected funds demolished substantial portions of the White House that Congress authorized to be built and American taxpayers paid for. Until now,” the majority wrote.
The panel split along ideological lines. The majority comprised U.S. Circuit Judge Patricia Millett, an appointee of former President Obama, and U.S. Circuit Judge Brad Garcia, an appointee of former President Biden.
In dissent, U.S. Circuit Judge Neomi Rao, a Trump appointee, said the preservationist group that is challenging Trump in court had no right to sue and the project was likely within the president’s authority.
“The district court seized supervision of construction at the White House, and my colleagues affirm this judicial overreach,” Rao wrote. “Because the injunction is beyond the proper province of the federal courts, construction should be allowed to continue.”
The Hill has reached out to the Justice Department for comment.
Last fall, Trump tore down the East Wing to make way for the new 90,000-square-foot project at the White House. It is one of several major real estate projects the president has launched as he reshapes the image of the nation’s capital during his second term. His plans for a golf course, an arch, the Kennedy Center and the Reflecting Pool have also come under legal challenges.
At the White House, Trump has emphasized a national security need for a ballroom in the wake of recent shootings near his location. He has repeatedly railed against the courts for restricting construction in response to a lawsuit brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, insisting it has no legal standing to block the project.
The president’s legal justification also relies on him using private funds for the project. The ballroom construction is expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and many of the nation’s top companies have donated sums toward it. Trump argues that means he doesn’t need any additional congressional approval.
Though a loss for Trump, the appeals court kept an exception for below-ground construction to continue, so his promised security features can still be built. Above-ground construction is only permitted when strictly necessary to protect those new features.
Trump has said a drone port and military facility are among the plans.
The D.C. Circuit had allowed all construction to continue for months until it issued the ruling.
“Today’s decision once again confirms that no one is above the law and that the President must seek authorization from Congress before building this ballroom. We are proud to represent the National Trust for Historic Preservation in its advocacy for the American people and in holding the government accountable,” Tad Heuer, a partner at Foley Hoag who represents the preservationist group, said in a statement.
“In light of the Court’s opinion, we urge the President to halt further construction until such time as the case has been concluded or until such time as Congress has authorized the project,” he continued.
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