A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the Trump administration to stop work on its planned $400 million White House ballroom, ruling that the project cannot move forward unless Congress gives clear approval. In a lawsuit brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon said the administration had not shown that the president has the authority to proceed on his own.
The order halts construction tied to the ballroom project, which followed the demolition of the East Wing to make room for the new structure. Leon put his injunction on hold for 14 days, saying the case raises significant legal questions and that stopping an active construction project could create logistical problems. He said work needed for White House safety and security would still be allowed.
Leon said the project could still move ahead, but only if Congress authorizes it. In the conclusion of his opinion, he wrote that construction must stop “unless and until Congress blesses this project through statutory authorization.” He said the president can go to Congress for express approval to build the ballroom with private money, and that lawmakers could also decide whether public funds or another financing plan would be acceptable.
The judge said that approach would preserve Congress’s authority over federal property and its oversight of government spending. He also said it would uphold the preservation group’s demand for what it called a lawful constitutional process, while ensuring that each branch of government acts within its assigned role.
The preservation group sued after the administration moved ahead with the project before outside review was complete and without congressional approval. Leon had earlier declined to stop the work on an emergency basis, but the plaintiffs later amended their case. With above-ground construction expected to begin in April, the project now faces a pause unless Congress steps in or a higher court overturns the ruling.
Trump reacted to the ruling in a Truth Social post, defending both the ballroom project and his renovation work at the Kennedy Center. He said the White House ballroom was “under budget” and “ahead of schedule” and argued that it was being built at no cost to taxpayers. He also criticized the National Trust for Historic Preservation for suing over the project while, in his view, overlooking other costly public building efforts.
The White House had earlier said, as reported by The Associated Press, that private donations, including from Trump himself, would fund the planned 90,000-square-foot ballroom, with seating for 999 people.
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