A federal appeals court issued a 2-1 decision on August 7, halting the construction of President Donald Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom. The panel ruled 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 affirmed an earlier ruling from March 31 by U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Leon, which stated that no construction could move forward without legislative approval. While that initial ruling had been temporarily paused in April to allow for judicial review, the appellate court has now reinforced the requirement for congressional oversight.
The court granted a two-week stay of its ruling, providing the administration a window to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. President Trump indicated on Truth Social that he intends to pursue an immediate appeal, labeling the decision “unjust” and criticizing the two judges in the majority as appointees of former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
In their written opinion, Judges Patricia Millett and Brad Garcia noted the unprecedented nature of the project, stating, “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 administration has defended the project by arguing that halting construction would leave the Executive Mansion vulnerable, claiming it would create “grave national-security harms” to the building and its occupants. Trump described the project as a vital, integrated unit that includes bomb shelters, medical facilities, and advanced military infrastructure. He noted that the ballroom is part of a “massive military complex” that was originally intended to remain classified.
The current ruling does permit certain below-ground work, including the construction of bunkers, military infrastructure, and medical facilities, alongside necessary above-ground measures to secure those specific areas. The project began last October when the East Wing was demolished to make way for the 90,000-square-foot ballroom, which is being financed through private funds.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation initiated a lawsuit against the administration in December, alleging that the project bypassed legally mandated review processes. Following the August 7 decision, the organization’s CEO, Brent Leggs, praised the ruling as a victory for historic preservation. He remarked that the decision carries special significance during the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, emphasizing that the White House serves as a global symbol of democracy that belongs to the American people.
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.
“The single, integrated project includes Bomb Shelters, State of the Art Hospital and Medical Facilities, Protective Partitioning, Top Secret Military Facilities, Structures and Equipment, Protective Missile Resistant Steel, Columns, Roofs, and Beams, Drone Proof Ceilings and Roofs, Military Grade Venting, and Bullet, Ballistic, and Blast Proof Glass,” Trump wrote on Aug.
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!”
He blamed the lawsuit for exposing the secret.