US appeals court halts Trump's White House ballroom project, says Congress must approve it

In a 2-1 decision, a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit held that the President lacked the unilateral authority to construct the planned 90,000-square-foot ballroom on the site where the White House's East Wing previously stood before its demolition.

The court stayed its ruling for two weeks to allow the administration time to appeal to the US Supreme Court.

'Congress must decide,' Court says

The appeals court stressed that the dispute was not about the merits of the ballroom itself but about constitutional authority.

"Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help," the judges wrote.

The court clarified that its ruling does not permanently bar the project but prevents the administration from continuing above-ground construction while litigation is underway unless Congress authorises it.

District Court order upheld

The appeals court upheld an April 16 order by US District Judge Richard Leon directing the administration to stop above-ground construction.

However, Leon allowed work to continue on below-ground facilities, including bunkers and other infrastructure deemed necessary for national security.

In his latest order, the judge rejected the administration's argument that the entire ballroom project qualified as a national security initiative.

"The defendants argue that the entire ballroom construction project... falls within the safety-and-security exception," Leon wrote. "That is neither a reasonable nor a correct reading of my Order."

Trump slams ruling

President Trump criticised the decision on social media, accusing Judge Leon of delaying what he described as an important national project.

Calling Leon a "Trump Hating" judge, the President alleged that the ruling undermined national security and sought to delay or block what he called a "great gift to America."

Preservationists challenge demolition

The legal challenge was filed in December 2025 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, shortly after the White House completed the demolition of the East Wing to make way for the new ballroom.

The preservation group argued that the absence of a White House ballroom did not constitute a national security emergency and therefore could not justify bypassing congressional approval.

Government lawyers countered that the project incorporated critical security upgrades designed to protect the President, staff and the White House complex from threats including drones, ballistic missiles and biological hazards.

Project received planning approval

Despite the legal dispute, the proposed ballroom received final approval from the 12-member National Capital Planning Commission on April 2.

The project represents the most significant structural alteration to the White House in more than seven decades.

For now, however, only below-ground work related to security infrastructure may continue while the legal battle moves toward a possible Supreme Court appeal.