Appeals Court Allows Resumption of Trump's White House Ballroom Construction

Sun Apr 19 2026 10:36:27 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

The construction of the White House ballroom is back on track following a ruling by an appeals court, allowing for both underground and above-ground work to continue amidst a backdrop of national security concerns.

An appeals court has ruled in favor of the Trump administration, permitting the resumption of construction on the White House ballroom that was halted by a prior district court decision. As the case progresses, the administration argues the project is vital for national security, while critics highlight the need for proper legislative oversight.

Construction of the underground and above-ground portions of US President Donald Trump's White House ballroom will be allowed to continue, an appeals court has ruled.

The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia granted an administrative stay after the Trump administration appealed against US District Judge Richard Leon's decision to halt above-ground construction on Thursday.

Construction is now expected to continue until the next hearing, which is due to take place on June 5.

This week's rulings came after the appeals court ordered the judge to reconsider the national security implications of halting the work after he temporarily blocked all construction of the ballroom in March.

The ruling marks a victory for the president in his effort to redesign the storied American structure.

Leon said on Thursday that he thought the project required congressional approval, adding that the administration reclassifying the ballroom plans as vital for national security appeared to be an attempted workaround. National security is not a blank cheque to proceed with otherwise unlawful activity, he wrote.

Following the ruling, Trump took to Truth Social to accuse the judge of attempting to prevent future Presidents and World Leaders from having a safe and secure large scale Meeting Place.

He also stated, It's all tied together as one big, expensive, and very complex unit, which is vital for National Security and Military Operations of the United States of America!

Trump argued that the ballroom was needed now and asserted that no judge can be allowed to stop it.

The Justice Department filed an appeal against Leon's ruling on Thursday, arguing it would imperil the president and national security and indefinitely leave a large hole beside the Executive Residence.

The judge temporarily halted the construction project in late March, ruling that proper procedures were not followed before it had begun, following a lawsuit filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The preservation group's lawsuit alleges that the White House broke the law when it started construction on the ballroom and bunker without filing plans with the National Capital Planning Commission and by declining to seek authorisation from Congress.

The East Wing of the White House, constructed in 1902, was demolished in October to make way for the multi-million-dollar ballroom, which will have a capacity for 1,350 guests. The project is expected to cost $400 million (£302 million) and is being funded entirely by private donors.