Trump's White House Ballroom Construction Can Proceed, Appeals Court Rules

Sat Apr 18 2026 23:05:05 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A recent ruling from a US appeals court allows the construction of a controversial ballroom at the White House to resume, reversing a prior halt instigated by a judge's concerns over legislation and national security.

The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has granted permission for the continuation of construction on President Trump's White House ballroom project, previously halted due to legal challenges. The court's stay will remain in effect until a hearing scheduled for June 5. Trump's administration argues the project is crucial for national security, while critics express concerns over procedural compliance and historical preservation.

Construction of the underground and above-ground portions of President Donald Trump's White House ballroom project will be allowed to continue, a US appeals court said.

The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia granted an administrative stay after the Trump administration appealed against US District Judge Richard Leon's decision to halt above-ground construction on Thursday.

Construction is now expected to continue until the next hearing, which is due to take place on June 5.

This week's rulings came after the appeals court ordered the judge to reconsider the national security implications of halting the work, after he temporarily blocked all construction of the ballroom in March.

The ruling marks a victory for the president in his effort to redesign the storied American structure.

Leon said on Thursday that he thought the project required congressional approval, and added that the administration reclassifying the ballroom plans as vital for national security appeared to be an attempted workaround.

National security is not a blank cheque to proceed with otherwise unlawful activity, he wrote.

After the ruling, the president took to Truth Social to accuse the judge of attempting to prevent future Presidents and World Leaders from having a safe and secure large scale Meeting Place. Trump argued that the ballroom was needed now and that no judge can be allowed to stop it.

The Justice Department filed an appeal against Leon's ruling, arguing it would imperil the President and national security and indefinitely leave a large hole beside the Executive Residence.

The judge temporarily halted the construction project in late March, ruling that proper procedures were not followed before it began, after the White House was sued by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which alleges that the White House broke the law when it began construction on the ballroom without the necessary approvals.

The East Wing of the White House, constructed in 1902, was demolished in October to make way for the ballroom with a planned capacity of 1,350 guests, expected to cost $400 million and funded entirely by private donors.