A federal appeals court has blocked President Donald Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom project, ordering that all construction except for below-ground work must cease. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued a 2-1 decision on Friday, upholding a preliminary injunction previously granted to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The National Trust had filed a lawsuit in December 2025 after the administration began demolishing the East Wing to construct a 90,000-square-foot ballroom without seeking authorization from Congress or review from federal preservation boards. The project's cost had increased significantly, and the president had initially stated the ballroom would be built "near" the White House, but the demolition extended to the entire East Wing.
In the majority opinion, Judges Patricia Millett and Bradley Garcia stated that the Constitution assigns Congress the responsibility for deciding on proposed changes to the White House's physical design, even those argued to serve security interests. They found that the administration had not demonstrated that Congress delegated this authority to the president or the National Park Service, concluding that the construction of a "massive ballroom" is a matter for Congress to decide, not executive action.
The appeals court has stayed its ruling for two weeks, allowing the Trump administration time to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.
Judge Neomi Rao, appointed by Trump, dissented from the ruling. She argued that the district court had improperly seized supervision of construction at the White House and that her colleagues were affirming this "judicial overreach." Rao stated that construction should be permitted to continue because the injunction falls outside the proper scope of federal courts.
The Trump administration has defended the ballroom project as a necessary and secure expansion of the White House complex, alongside other renovations and architectural alterations.