Judge rules White House ballroom construction must halt until Congress OK’s it : NPR

Seen from the observation level of the Washington Monument, demolition work continues where the East Wing of the White House once stood on January 5, 2026 in Washington, DC

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Heather Diehl/Getty Images North America

U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon ruled Tuesday that construction of President Trump’s ballroom at the White House “must stop until Congress authorizes its completion.”

Using a notable number of exclamation points, Leon said the plaintiff, the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States, would likely prevail in its lawsuit and was therefore granting a preliminary injunction to stop construction.

“The President of the United States is the steward of the White House for future generations of the First Families. However, he is not the owner!” Leon wrote.

Leon, however, said he would delay enforcement of the injunction for 14 days because he expects the administration to immediately appeal. He also said he would allow work to continue for “the safety and security of the White House” — a clear reference to the secure bunker being constructed beneath the building.

A longtime dream project for President Trump, the ballroom is designed to accommodate 1,000 guests and will cost at least $300 million, according to the president’s estimates. It sparked massive controversy and public backlash, but recently won approval from the Commission of Fine Arts, an architectural review board now staffed by Trump allies. The commission voted to give it final approval even though it hasn’t seen the final design. It received more than 2,000 public comments, which staff said were 99% negative.

The National Capital Planning Commission is expected to vote on the ballroom project at a meeting Thursday.

President Trump responded to the decision in a social media post, complaining that the National Trust for Historic Preservation doesn’t appreciate his efforts to “beautify” Washington buildings, from the White House to the Kennedy Center.

“So the White House Ballroom and the Trump Kennedy Center, which is under budget, ahead of schedule and will be among the most magnificent buildings of its type in the world, are being sued by a group that was cut by the government years ago, but all the many disasters in our country are being left alone to die. That doesn’t make a lot of sense, does it?” he wrote.

Leon previously allowed construction to continue in a ruling in February. In that filing, the National Trust for Historic Preservation claimed the president failed to follow proper procedure in demolishing the East Wing of the White House and soliciting private donations to fund the $300 million ballroom.

In that February opinion, Leon wrote that he was not making a decision on the merits because of the way the suit was worded. He concluded by saying that if the group were to amend its complaint, “the Court will review it expeditiously and, if viable, consider the merits of the new and important issues presented.”