Trump asks Supreme Court to let White House resume $400 million ballroom construction during appeal

Emergency filing to the Supreme Court

President Donald Trump's administration filed an emergency application with the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday, August 14, asking the justices to suspend an appeals court ruling that halted construction of a $400 million White House ballroom. Solicitor General D John Sauer petitioned the court to keep the ruling on hold while the administration prepares a full appeal. The appeals court had paused its own stop-work order for 14 days, meaning construction must cease on August 21 unless the Supreme Court intervenes.

The appeals court ruling

On August 7, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled 2-1 that Trump must stop the ballroom's construction because Congress has not approved the project. The panel's majority wrote that whether a massive ballroom should be built is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for executive self-help. The ruling upheld a lower-court judge's order directing the administration to halt above-ground construction at the site of the former East Wing, which the administration demolished in October 2025.

National security arguments

The administration's filing argues the project is a security necessity, citing numerous assassination attempts against Trump. Sauer wrote that the case involves an extraordinary and unlawful injunction that will halt ongoing construction of an integrated military complex, including a totally secure ballroom space, at the East Wing of the White House, which is vitally required by national security. According to Frankfurter Allgemeine, the underground military complex spans six stories and includes military-grade ventilation, a hospital, a bomb shelter and strictly secret military facilities. Trump said on Truth Social that the plan includes bomb shelters, medical facilities, shielding from drones and missiles, and other security features tied together as one big, expensive and very complex unit.

Sauer told the court that work on the project is 65% done and that forcing a halt would amount to construction-by-injunction. He wrote that forcing the president to come hat-in-hand to Congress so the people's house is safe gives the legislature dangerous leverage.

The President of the United States is not a tenant, but rather the sole elected head of the executive branch. Congress has authorized him to renovate, secure and protect the White House and its grounds, as other presidents have been allowed to do, without exception.

The lawsuit and project background

The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed suit last year after the administration tore down the East Wing and began building a 90,000-square-foot (8,360-square-meter) ballroom without seeking authorization from Congress. The group argued the project was unlawful because it began without a legally required review, which includes public comment and approval by entities such as the National Capital Planning Commission. The administration has countered that the ballroom is being constructed without taxpayer money and is fully funded by private corporate donations, meaning congressional approval is not required.

Cost discrepancy and broader plans

Most sources cite the project cost at $400 million. Frankfurter Allgemeine reports the cost has risen from $200 million to $600 million. The ballroom project is part of Trump's broader effort to remake Washington's cityscape, which has also included the renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and a planned Arc de Trump in the style of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Trump called the D.C. Circuit's decision horrendous and politically motivated, saying it left him, other White House officials and visitors exposed to attack. He demanded the Supreme Court overturn the ruling in its entirety.