Trump administration authorized to resume White House ballroom construction

The Trump administration has been cleared to continue construction of a $400 million ballroom at the site of the former East Wing, following a ruling by a US appeals court. The three-judge panel granted a stay on a previous order that had halted most aboveground construction due to a lawsuit from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which questioned Trump's authority to demolish the East Wing without congressional approval.

US District Judge Richard Leon had initially stopped the construction in March, citing the lack of congressional approval, but the appeals court ordered him to reconsider the national security implications of the construction pause. The Trump administration argued that halting the project posed 'grave national-security harms to the White House, the president and his family, and the president’s staff.' Leon allowed below-ground construction to continue but limited it to ensure it wouldn't determine the ballroom's above-ground size and scale.

The appeals court's administrative stay provides time to review the emergency motion for a stay pending appeal, with the next hearing tentatively scheduled for June 5. Trump has claimed that the ballroom project is funded by private donors and large corporations, including Meta, Apple, Amazon, and others, as part of a broader initiative to leave a lasting mark on the nation’s capital, which also includes plans for a 250-foot arch and renovations to the Kennedy Center.