Trump to Appeal White House Ballroom Construction Halt to Supreme Court

A US appeals court has ordered President Donald Trump to halt construction of a ballroom at the White House, a decision the president plans to challenge at the Supreme Court.

The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Friday upheld a preliminary injunction that temporarily bars above-ground construction. The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued the Trump administration over the project, arguing it lacked congressional approval.

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Each President is a temporary tenant, not the owner, of the White House.

The court's judges stated that a president is a "temporary tenant, not the owner, of the White House." They emphasized that Congress, not the executive branch, should decide on major structural changes. The ruling also rejected the administration's argument that national security concerns justified bypassing legal limits.

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national security concerns “are not an automatic get-out-of-law-free card.”

Construction of the planned 90,000-square-foot ballroom began last year after the demolition of the historic East Wing, marking the most significant structural change to the White House in over 70 years. White House lawyers had argued the project included security upgrades against threats like drones and ballistic missiles. The court majority, however, found that national security concerns are "not an automatic get-out-of-law-free card."

President Trump called the ruling "horrendous, politically motivated, and unlawful" and vowed to "immediately" appeal. The order is on hold for 14 days to allow for the appeal to the Supreme Court. The legal battle continues while construction remains paused.

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immediately