Trump's White House Ballroom Construction Gets Green Light from Appeals Court

Sat Apr 18 2026 22:49:08 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

An appeals court ruled that construction on the White House ballroom may continue, despite previous halts due to legal challenges. The ongoing project aims to enhance the storied American structure.

A recent ruling by the US Court of Appeals allows the ongoing construction of President Trump's White House ballroom, which had been temporarily halted. This decision came after an appeal against a lower court's ruling, which stated that the project required congressional approval. The ballroom aims to accommodate large gatherings and is part of a broader redesign plan for the White House, amidst concerns over national security and procedural compliance.

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, Trump 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.

He emphasized the importance of the ballroom for national security, mentioning that the complex would feature bomb shelters and medical facilities. It's all tied together as one big, expensive, and very complex unit, which is vital for National Security and Military Operations of the United States of America! he wrote.

The Justice Department filed an appeal against Leon's ruling on Thursday, 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, following a lawsuit by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The preservation group alleges that the White House broke the law by beginning construction without the necessary approvals. The project, expected to cost $400 million, has drawn criticism but is being funded entirely by private donations.