A federal appeals court on Friday, August 7th, 2026, ruled that the Trump White House lacks the authority to unilaterally build a new 90,000-square-foot ballroom on the site of the former East Wing. The court found that the $400 million project requires explicit congressional approval, emphasizing that Congress holds "full constitutional control over federal property and the funding of its maintenance and development."

The judges noted an "absence of any express or implied authorization" granting President Trump the power to proceed with the construction. They stated, "We are aware of no instance in American history in which a President unilaterally and using privately collected funds demolished substantial portions of the White House that Congress authorized to be built and American taxpayers paid for."

President Trump responded swiftly, declaring that his administration will appeal the ruling directly to the Supreme Court, setting up a legal showdown over the controversial ballroom project.

Trump’s team argued that halting the ballroom's construction "severely jeopardizes the lives and welfare of the people who work, and will be working, at the White House," citing concerns that stopping the project would impact the construction of an underground bunker included in the plan.

Additionally, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche filed court documents urging the resumption of construction, referencing a recent attempted attack at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in April as underscoring the need for a secure ballroom on White House grounds.

Arden Farhi, managing editor for CBS News' Washington bureau, noted that the court's ruling focuses strictly on the legal authority to build the ballroom and does not address whether the project is desirable as a matter of policy.

Sources