WASHINGTON — On Friday, August 7, 2026, a United States federal appeals court ordered the Trump administration to stop construction on a $400 million ballroom planned for the site of the White House's demolished East Wing. The Washington-based US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, in a 2-1 decision, upheld a preliminary injunction filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which had sued after the administration demolished the East Wing and began building an 8,360-square-meter ballroom without congressional authorization.

The court emphasized that President Donald Trump does not have unilateral authority to undertake such a significant structural change to the White House. "Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help," the court wrote. It also stayed its ruling for two weeks to allow the administration to appeal to the US Supreme Court.

US District Judge Richard Leon had previously blocked above-ground construction on the site, though underground work was permitted to continue. The Trump administration has described the ballroom as necessary for large formal functions and to enhance White House security, citing protection against threats like drones, ballistic missiles, and biohazards.

During court arguments, Justice Department attorney Yaakov Roth argued that the courts should not intervene in the privately funded project and that national security concerns outweighed the National Trust’s architectural objections. Roth claimed the former East Wing left the White House vulnerable to attack.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed its lawsuit in December 2025, shortly after the East Wing was demolished. Trump has defended the project and its rising cost, stating on Truth Social that the ballroom is "approximately twice the size, and a far higher quality, than the original proposal" and promised it "will be magnificent, safe, and secure!"

Separately, a judge recently ruled that Trump’s name was illegally added to the exterior of the Kennedy Center performing arts center and ordered its removal.

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