WASHINGTON — A U.S. federal appeals court ruled that President Donald Trump does not have the legal authority to proceed with construction of a new White House ballroom without congressional approval, ordering a halt to the aboveground portion of the project while leaving limited security-related underground work in place.
In a 2-1 decision issued on Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit sided with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which challenged the administration's plan to replace the White House's demolished East Wing with a 90,000-square-foot ballroom. The panel said Congress has the constitutional authority over major construction and demolition involving federal property such as the White House.
The majority wrote that the case was not about the merits of the proposed ballroom itself but about whether the executive branch could undertake such a significant alteration without legislative authorization. The judges said decisions on whether a large new structure should be added to the White House complex rest with Congress rather than the president acting alone.
The ruling upheld key parts of a lower court order that found the administration was unlikely to have statutory authority to demolish the East Wing and replace it with a privately financed ballroom. However, the appeals court permitted construction to continue on underground facilities that the administration argued were necessary for White House security and continuity of operations.
The White House had argued that delaying the project would pose risks to presidential security and said the ballroom was being financed through private donations rather than congressional appropriations. The administration also maintained that the underground elements were integral to broader security upgrades at the executive residence.
Trump criticized the decision and said his administration would ask the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse it, describing the ruling as politically motivated.
The preservation group's lawsuit argued that the White House is a historic federal property whose substantial alteration requires congressional authorization and compliance with applicable federal procedures. The organization said the demolition of the East Wing and planned ballroom threatened the historic character of the presidential residence.
Judge Neomi Rao dissented, concluding that the administration had authority to proceed and questioning whether the preservation group had standing to pursue the case.
The appeals court's decision leaves the administration preparing a Supreme Court appeal while construction of the ballroom above ground remains blocked unless Congress authorizes the project or a higher court intervenes.
