Federal appeals court blocks Trump's White House ballroom project, president vows Supreme Court appeal
A federal appeals court upheld the suspension of Donald Trump's White House ballroom project on 7 August 2026, ruling he launched the works without Congress approval. Trump vowed to immediately appeal to the Supreme Court.
Court ruling
On 7 August 2026, the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia maintained a suspension of construction on a monumental ballroom at the White House, first ordered by a federal judge in April. The court gave the US government 14 days to petition the Supreme Court. The ruling stated the block had "nothing to do" with the merits of the project itself, but was explained by the fact that President Donald Trump launched the works without obtaining approval from Congress.
The court wrote that the government does not have "unlimited authority" to "redesign, remodel and rebuild the White House, the People's House, to satisfy the personal desire of a president." The ruling was reported by multiple French-language outlets including RFI, Mediapart, France 24, Le Monde, Le Figaro, 7sur7, and RTBF.
- Trump demolishes an entire wing of the White House with a bulldozer to start construction
- A federal judge suspends the ballroom construction work
- AFP photographs show construction continuing, with a slab and low structures flanked by two cranes
- DC Court of Appeals maintains the suspension and gives the government 14 days to petition the Supreme Court
Trump's response
Trump immediately announced he would appeal the decision, writing on his Truth Social platform that the ruling was a "horrible decision, motivated by political and illegal reasons."
We will immediately appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States.
Trump also said the Army and the Secret Service considered the decision horrible, motivated by political and illegal reasons. He has increasingly framed the project not as a personal whim but as a national security undertaking, arguing the building must be equipped with a drone platform and other military devices. He called it a "cruelly necessary military center, indispensable for the security of Washington, the District of Columbia, and our country itself."
The project and its critics
In October 2025, the Republican president had an entire wing of the White House demolished with a bulldozer to make way for the ballroom, designed to accommodate up to 1,000 people for receptions and dinners honouring foreign dignitaries. The project also includes a helipad and an underground secure area.
The projected budget, financed according to Trump entirely by private donations, has risen from 200 million to 400 million dollars.
- Initial budget
- 200 million USD
- Current budget
- 400 million USD
The project is contested in court by the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP), a nonprofit organisation mandated by Congress for the preservation of historic buildings. Democratic lawmakers, some Republicans, and the heritage foundation have all criticised the project, arguing it would "disfigure the White House" and denouncing the ballooning cost.
Construction on the ground
Despite the judicial setbacks, construction has continued. Photographs taken in late July by AFP show the advancement of the works, with a concrete slab and low structures under construction, flanked by two cranes. Just next to the ballroom site, another construction project ordered by Trump is underway: a concrete area intended for the landing and takeoff of the presidential helicopter.
The court's 14-day window means the government has until late August 2026 to formally petition the Supreme Court, which will decide whether to take up the case.
