A federal appeals court has blocked President Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom construction, ruling that the project cannot proceed without congressional approval, according to a decision issued Friday by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
The three-judge panel voted 2-1 to uphold a lower court’s order halting above-ground construction on the 90,000-square-foot ballroom. “Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help,” the court wrote in its 136-page ruling.
The Trump administration has not sought congressional authorization for the project, which the White House originally estimated at $200 million but which the Washington Post reported in June could cost at least $600 million based on contractors’ invoices. The ballroom is designed to seat 1,000 guests and would replace the demolished East Wing of the White House.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, chartered by Congress, filed the lawsuit in December 2025 seeking to halt construction. The nonprofit argued that the Trump administration failed to follow federal law requiring approval from Congress and completion of legally mandated review processes before making major changes to the White House.
Trump responded within two hours of the ruling, calling it “horrendous, politically motivated and unlawful” on his Truth Social account. He pointed out that the two judges who voted against him were appointed by Democratic presidents—Barack Obama and Joe Biden—and announced his administration would appeal immediately to the Supreme Court.
The Trump administration has argued that the ballroom is intertwined with national security infrastructure. Trump claimed that underneath the proposed ballroom, the military is constructing a complex that includes bomb shelters, medical facilities, drone-proof ceilings, and ballistic-resistant structures vital to presidential security. “The single, integrated project includes Bomb Shelters, State of the Art Hospital and Medical Facilities, Protective Partitioning, Top Secret Military Facilities… 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!” Trump wrote Friday.
The appeals court stayed its order for 14 days to give the Trump administration time to seek emergency relief from the Supreme Court. If the high court does not act within that window, construction must halt until Congress acts.
This is the latest legal setback for Trump’s efforts to reshape Washington landmarks. Senate Republicans originally proposed adding $1 billion in taxpayer funding for the ballroom’s security infrastructure as part of a sweeping immigration and border security package in May, but dropped the provision after significant bipartisan backlash.
Brent Leggs, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, celebrated the ruling. “This is a great day for our country and for the American people’s right to voice their opinions about the historic places they cherish, including the White House,” he said in a statement.
Sources
- NPR — appeals court ruling, Trump’s response, national security claims, ballroom specifications, National Trust statement
- Associated Press — 2-1 ruling, historic preservation lawsuit, congressional approval requirement
- Washington Post — ballroom cost estimate of at least $600 million based on contractor invoices
- BBC — appeals court order and construction halt
