WASHINGTON — A U.S. federal appeals court has upheld a lower court order halting above-ground construction of President Donald Trump’s planned $400 million White House ballroom, ruling that the administration cannot proceed with the project without congressional authorization.
The 2-1 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Friday sided with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which challenged the administration’s authority to demolish the White House East Wing and build a roughly 90,000-square-foot ballroom on the site.
Judges Patricia Millett and Bradley Garcia formed the majority, while Judge Neomi Rao, a Trump appointee, dissented. The majority concluded that the president does not have unilateral authority to make such a major structural alteration to the White House and that congressional approval is required.
The court’s ruling leaves in place an injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, who had previously determined that the National Trust was likely to succeed in arguing that the administration lacked statutory authority to undertake the project. Leon permitted construction strictly necessary for White House and presidential security, including underground facilities, while blocking the broader ballroom work.
The administration has argued that the project is necessary to improve security at the White House and has said the ballroom is being financed primarily through private donations. It has also maintained that security-related elements of the project require continued construction. The National Trust has argued that those concerns do not eliminate the requirement for congressional authorization.
Trump criticized the appeals court ruling and said he would seek review by the U.S. Supreme Court, describing the decision as a national security threat. The appeals court delayed enforcement of its ruling for two weeks, giving the administration time to pursue Supreme Court relief.
The legal dispute began after the administration demolished the East Wing in 2025 to make way for the ballroom. The National Trust subsequently sued, arguing that the project required congressional authorization and additional federal review.
For now, above-ground ballroom construction remains barred while the administration considers its next legal step.
