On Friday, August 7th, 2026, a federal appeals court ordered the Trump administration to stop construction of a $400 million ballroom at the White House. The project involves building an 8,400-square-metre ballroom on the site where the White House’s East Wing once stood before its demolition.

The three-judge panel from the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled in a 2-1 decision siding with historic preservationists who sued to halt the construction. The court stated that President Donald Trump does not have the unilateral authority to make such a fundamental alteration to the White House without congressional authorization.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation had filed the lawsuit in December 2025, shortly after the East Wing was demolished to make way for the ballroom, which Trump said would accommodate 999 people.

Government lawyers argued that the project represents the largest structural change to the White House in over 70 years and includes vital security features designed to protect against threats such as drones, ballistic missiles, and biohazards.

The court has stayed its ruling for two weeks to allow the administration to appeal to the US Supreme Court. President Trump announced on social media that he would appeal what he described as an “unjust decision.”

Trump also wrote that the Military and Secret Service view the ruling as a national security threat, emphasizing that the complex is intended to protect the country and future presidents.

The court emphasized, “What it does mean is that the Defendants may not do so during the district court’s expeditious litigation without securing Congress’s authorization, as the Constitution and laws require.”