A Washington D.C. district court has issued an order halting the construction of a ballroom at the White House until the U.S. Congress grants the necessary clearance, according to a report by Politico.
The court sided with a lawsuit filed by the non-governmental National Trust for Historic Preservation, which argued that U.S. President Donald Trump lacked the authority to greenlight the construction of a ballroom using private funds.
The court observed that not a single piece of legislation even remotely grants the President the scope of authority he is currently asserting.
The judicial ruling emphasized that the President of the United States acts as a custodian of the White House for the future generations of heads of state and their families.
Nevertheless, the court pointed out that the President does not possess ownership of the [White House].
The Trump administration swiftly appealed this decision, which is set to take effect in fourteen days.
On the social platform Truth Social, Trump strongly condemned the lawsuit from the foundation, labeling the group as “radically leftist lunatics.”
Back in August 2025, Trump had announced his intention to erect a ballroom within the White House capable of accommodating up to 650 individuals. This venue was planned for the location currently occupied by the White House East Room.
In October 2025, construction crews began demolishing a section of the East Wing of the White House to execute Trump’s design.
Trump assured the public that the new hall would replicate “the precise interior finishes of the White House.”
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