On Friday, August 7th, 2026, a US federal appeals court upheld a preliminary injunction that halts construction of a $400 million ballroom at the White House. The court sided with historic preservationists, including the National Trust for Historic Preservation, who sued after the Trump administration demolished the historic East Wing and began building the 90,000-square-foot ballroom without congressional authorization.

President Donald Trump responded on Truth Social, calling the court’s decision a “National Security Threat at the highest level.” He stated, “We are not tenants, who pay rent and do all other things that a tenant must do, we are PRESIDENTS, elected by the people of the United States of America, and have many rights, including the right to fix, renovate, secure, protect, and beautify the White House grounds.” Trump emphasized that much of the work had already been completed and paid for.

District court judge Richard Leon had previously noted in a March opinion that while incomplete construction poses safety and security concerns for the White House and the President, the “existence of a ‘large hole’ beside the White House is, of course, a problem of the President’s own making.”

Separately, Oregon’s Democratic governor Tina Kotek expressed support for locally set moratoriums on new data center construction, following Hillsboro’s recent temporary prohibition. A poll released this week found that 71% of Oregonians hold a negative impression of data centers, with about 135 operational and planned centers in the state, according to Data Center Map.

Additionally, Donald Trump announced over $2 billion in deals and investments aimed at bolstering mining projects and mining school investments.

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