Appeals court blocks Trump’s White House ballroom, says Congress must approve major changes
A federal appeals court on Friday blocked President Donald Trump’s plan to build a new White House ballroom without congressional approval, handing him a sharp
A federal appeals court on Friday blocked President Donald Trump’s plan to build a new White House ballroom without congressional approval, handing him a sharp legal setback and setting up a likely Supreme Court fight.
The 2-1 ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said the president cannot unilaterally reshape major parts of the White House complex, which Congress authorized and taxpayers funded. Judges described the president as a “temporary tenant” of the White House, not its owner.
Construction halted, but only for now
The court upheld a lower-court order blocking ballroom construction, while allowing work below ground to continue. The judges stayed their ruling for 14 days to give the Trump administration time to seek emergency review from the Supreme Court.
Trump moved quickly. He said he would “immediately” appeal and posted that the ballroom project was needed for the security of Washington and the country. He has argued throughout the case that the structure, including an underground complex for military and security facilities, is required to protect future presidents and the White House.
Historic preservationists win round one
The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued in December 2025, one week after the White House demolished the East Wing to make room for the project. The group challenged the ballroom plan as an unlawful alteration of a historically significant building.
The appellate panel sided with the preservationists. In its opinion, the court said there is no historical precedent for a president to use privately raised money to make such sweeping changes to the White House on his own.
That reasoning cuts to the heart of the case: who gets to decide when the executive residence changes shape. For now, the answer is not the president alone.
What comes next
The administration now has two weeks to ask the Supreme Court to intervene. If justices take the case, they will be pulled into a dispute over presidential power, congressional authority and the limits of private funding for alterations to one of the world’s most watched buildings.
Trump has made clear he wants the fight to continue. The next move is due soon.
