In a 2-1 ruling, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a preliminary injunction blocking construction of President Donald Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom project, marking the third court to halt it.
The court rejected the Trump administration’s argument that no court has authority to stop the demolition, stating “the bold assertion that the Executive can act with utter lawlessness, destroying treasured national landmarks and harming the interests of individuals, and that no court can stop it flouts our constitutional order,” records show.
Trump demolished the entire East Wing in October 2025 without congressional approval to make room for the 90,000-square-foot ballroom.
The court ruled “each President is a temporary tenant, not the owner, of the White House,” meaning Congress must authorize construction.
The court dismissed the government’s claims the ballroom would be hidden by trees as “[p]ure fiction.”
A 14-day stay allows the Trump administration to seek Supreme Court emergency review.
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