A US federal appeals court has halted construction of a $400 million ballroom at the White House, siding with historic preservationists who sued to stop the project. The ballroom, spanning 90,000 square feet (8,400 square meters), was initiated by the Trump administration after tearing down the historic East Wing without congressional authorization.

The court's order upheld a preliminary injunction won by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which filed the lawsuit last year. District court judge Richard Leon noted in a March opinion that the incomplete construction poses concerns about the safety and security of the White House grounds and the President, highlighting the existence of a "large hole" beside the White House as a problem of the President's own making.

In response, former President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social, calling the decision a "National Security Threat at the highest level." He emphasized that presidents are not tenants and have the right to "fix, renovate, secure, protect, and beautify the White House grounds," criticizing the halt after much of the work was completed and paid for.

Additional comments from public officials include New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport, who stressed the state's duty to uphold civil rights and humane treatment for detained individuals, and Oregon’s Democratic Governor Tina Kotek, who supports local moratoriums on new data center construction, following Hillsboro's recent temporary prohibition.

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