WASHINGTON — A U.S. appeals court on Friday ordered the Trump administration to halt above-ground construction of President Donald Trump’s proposed White House ballroom, while putting its ruling on hold for 14 days to give the administration time to seek review by the Supreme Court.
The 2-1 decision by a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld a lower court’s determination that the administration cannot proceed with the project without authorization from Congress. The court said the president does not have unilateral authority to make major structural changes to the White House complex.
The proposed ballroom, estimated to cost about $400 million and cover roughly 90,000 square feet, is being built at the site of the White House East Wing, which was demolished for the project. The administration has said the facility is intended to accommodate large events and includes security-related features.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued to stop the project, arguing that the administration lacked legal authority to undertake the construction without congressional approval. A federal district judge previously issued a preliminary injunction against the project, while allowing work strictly necessary for White House safety and security to continue.
The appeals court said its ruling was not a determination that the ballroom could never be built. Rather, the panel concluded that construction could not continue during the litigation without congressional authorization. The court also recognized that some underground work associated with security could proceed under the lower court’s order.
Trump has criticized the ruling and said he would take the dispute to the Supreme Court, arguing that the project is important to White House security. The administration has maintained that the ballroom is being financed through private donations rather than appropriated federal funds.
The appeals court’s 14-day pause means the ruling will not immediately take effect, allowing the administration to seek Supreme Court intervention before the construction halt becomes operative. The case now presents the Supreme Court with a potential dispute over presidential authority to alter federal property and the extent of congressional control over changes to the White House complex.
