US appeals court halts Trump's $400 million White House ballroom, ruling Congress must approve the project

Court ruling

On 7 August 2026, a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit voted 2-1 to halt above-ground construction of a ballroom at the White House. The court found that the Trump administration cannot unilaterally undertake such a significant alteration of the historic complex without congressional approval. The ruling upheld an earlier lower-court order obtained by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which filed suit last year after the administration demolished the East Wing of the White House and began construction without Congress's consent. The court stayed its ruling for 14 days to allow the administration to seek Supreme Court intervention.

In its opinion, the majority wrote that it knew of no precedent for a president demolishing parts of the White House using privately raised funds.

“We know of no case in the history of America in which a president unilaterally, using privately raised funds, demolished significant parts of the White House whose construction was approved by Congress and paid for by American taxpayers. Until now.”

The court also stated that national security considerations do not exempt the president from complying with the law or grant unlimited authority to remodel one of America's most important historic buildings. Judge Neomi Rao dissented, calling the majority's decision an excessive intrusion by the courts into executive-branch competencies.

The project

The ballroom is planned at over 8,000 square meters and carries a price tag of $400 million, which Trump says was raised from private donors and from himself. Trump announced the project at the start of his second term, and construction began in September 2025. Last year, the East Wing of the White House, the historic office of the First Lady and her staff, was demolished to make way for the new structure. In May 2026, Trump announced the ballroom would open in September 2028.

In spring 2026, a lower-court judge ordered a halt to above-ground construction, but that ruling was stayed pending the appeals court's review. The appeals court's 7 August decision reinstates that halt for the above-ground portion only. Underground work may continue; according to the administration, the subterranean level includes a renovated bunker, additional bomb shelters, military installations and medical facilities.

Trump's response

Trump reacted on Truth Social, calling the project a "desperately needed safe ballroom/military complex with a large drone port on the roof" and describing the ruling as a threat to national security of the highest order. He said the decision, issued after much of the work had already been completed and paid for, was a "national disgrace."

“This unfair decision must be completely overturned by the Supreme Court.”

Trump wrote that two appellate judges appointed by former presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden had voted against what he called a urgently needed military center required for the national security of Washington and the entire country. He added that the military and the Secret Service regarded the ruling as a threat to national security because the entire complex was being built to protect the United States and all future presidents.

Preservationist reaction

Brent Leggs, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, welcomed the ruling in a statement.

“This is a great day for our country and for the right of the American people to express opinions about historic places, including the White House.”

The court's opinion echoed the preservationist argument that the project proceeded without the required consents and congressional authorization. The White House website states that the project is expected to be completed well before the end of Trump's term. The administration has 14 days from the ruling to file its appeal with the Supreme Court.