Archive · 8 Aug 2026
US Appeals Court Halts Trump's $400 Million White House Ballroom
President Donald Trump wanted to build a very big ballroom for parties at the White House, the president's home in Washington, D.C. The ballroom would cost about $400 million and could hold up to 999 guests.
To build it, workers tore down the East Wing, a historic part of the White House.
A group called the National Trust for Historic Preservation said the White House belongs to all Americans, not just the president, and went to court to stop the building.
The group's leader, Brent Leggs, called the court's decision 'a great day for our country.'
A court with three judges decided, by a vote of 2 to 1, that the president cannot build the ballroom unless Congress, the part of the government that makes laws, says yes first.
The judges said each president is only a 'temporary tenant' of the White House, not the owner.
One judge disagreed and said the court was stepping out of line.
Work that happens underground, like building a bunker for safety, can still continue.
The president's team now has two weeks to ask the Supreme Court, the highest court in the country, to change the decision.
The US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit ruled 2-1 that President Donald Trump's $400 million White House ballroom cannot be built without congressional approval, halting above-ground construction.
The court stayed its ruling for 14 days to give the Trump administration time to appeal to the US Supreme Court.
Trump vowed to appeal immediately, calling the decision on Truth Social 'a horrendous, politically motivated, and unlawful ruling' and 'a National Disgrace.'
The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued in December 2025 after the historic East Wing was demolished to make way for the 90,000-square-foot ballroom, which could seat up to 999 guests.
Majority judges Patricia Millett and Bradley Garcia wrote that each president is a 'temporary tenant' of the White House, while dissenting judge Neomi Rao called the halt 'judicial overreach'; below-ground security work can continue.
- Who
- President Donald Trump's administration, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (Patricia Millett and Bradley Garcia in the majority, Neomi Rao dissenting), reviewing an injunction by US District Judge Richard Leon, a George W. Bush appointee.
- What
- A federal appeals court halted above-ground construction of the $400 million White House ballroom, ruling that it cannot proceed without congressional approval.
- When
- The appeals court ruling was announced on Friday; the project was introduced in July 2025, demolition began in October 2025, construction started in November 2025, and the lawsuit was filed in December 2025.
- Where
- Washington, D.C., at the White House complex, on the site of the demolished East Wing.
- Why
- The court ruled that Congress has not ceded 'unfettered authority' to the Executive Branch to dramatically redesign and reconstruct the 'People's House' to fit a particular president's desires, noting that each president is a 'temporary tenant, not the owner' of the White House.
Historic Preservationists
Trump Administration
Congressional approval
Historic Preservationists
Congress must decide whether a massive ballroom should be built; 'They just don't want to go to Congress,' said preservation lawyer Thaddeus Heuer.
Trump Administration
Courts have no role in weighing the privately funded project, and it would have been improper to block it at any point, argued Justice Department attorney Yaakov Roth.
National security
Historic Preservationists
The lack of a White House ballroom is not a national security emergency, so only essential below-ground security work should continue.
Trump Administration
The project includes critical security features against drones, ballistic missiles, and biohazards that are essential to protecting the President, his family, and staff.
Role of the courts
Historic Preservationists
Courts can and must stop unlawful destruction of national landmarks; national security arguments 'are not an automatic get-out-of-law-free card,' wrote the majority.
Trump Administration
The injunction is beyond the proper province of the federal courts and amounts to 'judicial overreach,' wrote dissenting judge Neomi Rao.
- Project cost
- $400 million, up from initial estimates of about $200 million; media reports in June suggested costs could reach as much as $600 million
- Project scope
- 90,000-square-foot redevelopment of the East Wing site; ballroom itself about 22,000 square feet
- Ballroom capacity
- 650 to 999 guests, versus about 200 in the current East Room
- Court ruling
- 2-1 by the DC Circuit; above-ground work halted without congressional approval
- Appeal window
- 14 days to seek review by the US Supreme Court
- Earlier injunction
- Judge Richard Leon barred above-ground work on April 16
- Lawsuit
- Filed in December 2025 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation
- Funding
- Trump says the project is privately financed; June media reports said significant taxpayer funds were also going to the project
Sources
US Court Halts Trump's Pet $400-Million White House Ballroom Project
US Court Orders Halt to Trump Ballroom Construction
"National Disgrace": Trump Slams Court Over Ballroom Construction Halt
Trump to move US Supreme Court after appeals court halts $400 million White House ballroom project
Trump’s White House ballroom project halted by US appeals court over Congress approval
Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom project put on hold — ‘Not ceded unfettered to fit President’s desires…’
US appeals court blocks Trump’s $400mn White House ballroom project: What the ruling means
US Appeals Court Halts Trump's $400 Million White House Ballroom Project
