Federal appeals court judges voted 2‑1 to stop above‑ground construction of President Donald Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom, upholding a district court injunction and requiring congressional authorization before any further work proceeds at the historic East Wing site, pending a possible appeal to the Supreme Court.
The D.C. Circuit panel ruled that only Congress can fund White House development, noting the administration had asked for $1 billion for the ballroom, which Congress denied in May, and that $350 million from a tax‑cut law may have been diverted to the project. The court allowed underground work on a bunker and other security facilities to continue.
The decision reasserts legislative control over federal building projects and could delay the ballroom’s completion, forcing the White House to seek a Supreme Court review or to abandon the plan. It also strengthens the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s claim that the public has a right to protect historic sites, potentially influencing future executive construction initiatives.
Trump maintains the ballroom is financed by private donations and that congressional approval is unnecessary, describing the halt as a national‑security threat and citing a dissenting opinion by Judge Neomi Rao. The court, however, emphasized that only Congress may authorize the use of public funds for such a project, highlighting the $1 billion request and alleged redirection of tax‑cut money.