Appeals Court Halts Trump's $400M White House Ballroom, Supreme Court Showdown Looms

A federal appeals court has upheld an order halting construction on President Donald Trump's planned $400 million ballroom at the White House, ruling that such a massive overhaul requires explicit congressional authorization. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, in a 2-1 decision, agreed with a lower court that the president is "a temporary tenant, not the owner, of the White House," and cannot fundamentally alter the site without lawmakers' consent. The court wrote: "Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help". The ruling will not take effect immediately. The court stayed its decision for 14 days, giving the Trump administration time to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene. Trump denounced the ruling on Truth Social, calling it "horrendous, politically motivated, and unlawful". He vowed an immediate Supreme Court appeal, arguing the project is tied to national security and describing the planned structure as a "military center" that includes bomb shelters, medical facilities, and drone protection. The two judges in the majority — Patricia Millett and Brad Garcia, both appointed by Democratic presidents — rejected the administration's national security arguments. They wrote that such claims "are not an automatic get-out-of-law-free card". Circuit Judge Neomi Rao, a Trump appointee, dissented, arguing the lower court had "seized supervision of construction at the White House". Construction began last year with the demolition of the White House's historic East Wing. The project's estimated cost has climbed from $200 million to $400 million. The case was brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.