Appeals Court Blocks Construction of Trump’s White House Ballroom

Judges Patricia Millett and Bradley Garcia delivered the opinion, emphasizing that the president holds no constitutionally assigned authority over the structure. While the ruling immediately halts above-ground work, the court permitted the continued construction of a fortified underground bunker and other security facilities beneath the site. Trump has already demolished the East Wing to facilitate the expansion.

Although the project was marketed as being privately funded by corporate donors, reports have indicated secret plans to utilize $300 million in taxpayer funds. Previous attempts by Republican allies to secure $1 billion in federal budget allocations for the project’s security were blocked by the Senate parliamentarian. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, which initiated the lawsuit in December, hailed the decision as a victory for the protection of historic landmarks. Trump, characterizing the court’s intervention as a politically motivated threat to national security, vowed to challenge the decision at the Supreme Court.