A U.S. federal appeals court has ordered the Trump administration to stop above-ground construction of its proposed $400 million White House ballroom, ruling that such a major alteration to the historic presidential residence requires congressional approval.
In a 2-1 decision issued on Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld a preliminary injunction blocking construction while legal proceedings continue.
The majority wrote that the White House belongs to the American people rather than any individual president.
“Each President is a temporary tenant, not the owner, of the White House,” the court said, adding that a project of this scale cannot proceed without authorization from Congress.
The lawsuit was filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation after the administration demolished the White House East Wing and began constructing a 90,000-square-foot ballroom without legislative approval.
The appeals court ruled that whether such a structure should be built is a decision for Congress, not the executive branch.
“Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help,” the majority opinion stated.
The court has temporarily suspended its ruling for 14 days to allow the administration time to seek emergency relief from the U.S. Supreme Court.
President Donald Trump confirmed that his administration intends to appeal, describing the ruling as politically motivated.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump argued that the proposed building is more than a ceremonial ballroom, calling it a “military center” designed to strengthen White House security.
According to Trump, the project includes bomb shelters, medical facilities, protection against drone and missile attacks, and other integrated security features intended to safeguard the president, White House staff and visitors.
He insisted the decision should be overturned by the Supreme Court.
The administration has argued throughout the case that the privately funded project is necessary for national security and for hosting large state functions more safely than existing facilities allow.
However, the appeals court rejected the argument that national security concerns automatically override legal requirements.
“National security arguments are not an automatic get-out-of-law-free card,” the judges wrote, adding that the executive branch cannot ignore the law when altering nationally significant landmarks.
The majority further stated that allowing a president to destroy or fundamentally reshape historic government property without legal authorization would undermine the constitutional separation of powers.
Circuit Judge Neomi Rao dissented, arguing that the lower court had exceeded its authority by supervising construction at the White House and that work on the project should have been allowed to continue.
The ruling follows earlier decisions by U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, who twice blocked above-ground construction while permitting underground work to proceed during the litigation.
The White House ballroom project is one of several initiatives undertaken by the Trump administration to reshape prominent federal buildings and landmarks in Washington, D.C.
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