US appeals court blocks Trump White House ballroom construction pending Congress approval
A federal appeals court has ruled that Trump's $400 million White House ballroom cannot be built without congressional consent, giving the administration two weeks to appeal to the Supreme Court.
The US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit has ordered the Trump administration to stop all construction on its planned 8,400-square-metre White House ballroom until Congress explicitly approves the project. The court had earlier allowed building to continue while it reviewed the case, but ultimately agreed with a lower court that a renovation of this scale requires congressional consent.
Court's reasoning
In a 2-1 ruling, the appeals court sided with historic preservationists who sued to halt the massive project. Aerial photos show the structure already rising above ground on the White House's east side, on the site of the historic East Wing, which Trump ordered demolished last autumn.
The court stated that the decision on whether such a large ballroom should be built rests with Congress, not with unilateral executive action. It clarified that the ruling makes no judgment on whether the project is desirable and does not necessarily prevent the ballroom from eventually being built — only that construction cannot proceed during ongoing litigation without congressional authorisation.
Trump vows appeal
The court said its order would be stayed for two weeks to allow the administration time to appeal to the Supreme Court. President Donald Trump called the ruling horrendous, politically motivated and unlawful, and pledged to challenge it. The two judges in the majority were appointed by Democratic presidents, while the dissenting judge was a Trump nominee.
Trump has long complained that the White House lacks adequate space for large events such as state dinners, and ordered the ballroom's construction unilaterally. He has claimed the project will be privately funded, but media reports in June revealed significant taxpayer money involved, with Democrats warning that roughly $350 million from a tax-cut law appeared to have been redirected to the ballroom. Should the case reach the Supreme Court, it would be the first of several disputed Trump construction projects—including a planned 76-metre triumphal arch—to get there.
