In a landmark ruling that tests the boundaries of U.S. presidential executive authority, a federal appeals court has ordered the Trump administration to immediately halt all above-ground construction of a controversial $400 million ballroom extension at the White House, delivering the latest major blow to the unauthorized project and setting up a potential high-stakes showdown before the U.S. Supreme Court.
The three-judge panel’s majority ruling upholds an earlier preliminary injunction secured by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a non-profit advocacy group that filed suit after the administration demolished a portion of the White House East Wing in 2025 to launch the project without securing the mandatory approval from Congress required for alterations to the iconic federal property.
In its written opinion, the panel emphasized that decisions about large-scale structural changes to the White House — widely referred to as the “People’s House” — fall exclusively to the legislative branch, not unilateral action by the executive. “Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help,” the opinion stated. It added, “Congress has not ceded unfettered authority to the Executive Branch to dramatically redesign, reshape, and reconstruct the White House … to fit a particular President’s desires.”
The legal challenge stems from the Trump administration’s move to advance the project without congressional appropriations or authorization. A lower federal judge had already twice blocked above-ground construction work on the extension, though the ruling allowed limited underground site work to continue. The administration immediately appealed that lower court order to the federal appeals circuit, setting up Friday’s ruling.
In a procedural carveout, the appeals court delayed the enforcement of its construction halt for 14 days to give the Trump administration time to file an emergency appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court, should the White House choose to do so. The BBC has reached out to White House officials for official comment on the ruling, and had not received a response as of this update.
President Trump has publicly defended the costly project on multiple occasions, arguing the new expanded ballroom is necessary to accommodate large events including state visits and official gatherings, and has gone so far as to frame it as a critical national security priority. Trump doubled down on these justifications following an assassination attempt at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in April 2026, though critics have questioned the link between the new construction and any credible security threat.
This is an ongoing developing breaking news story, with additional details expected to be released in the coming days as the administration considers its next legal move.