US EditionJudge who halted White House ballroom construction allows national security work to proceed at site
The ruling lets security-related excavation continue while rejecting the administration’s claim that all ballroom work qualifies as protected national security construction.
- On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon blocked above-ground construction of the $400 million White House ballroom while permitting below-ground excavations for national security facilities, staying enforcement for seven days to allow potential appeals.
- The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued in December 2025, arguing the administration bypassed congressional authorization when demolishing the White House East Wing to make way for the ballroom project.
- President Donald Trump defended the $400 million project as "vital for National Security," citing bomb shelters and hospital facilities, but Leon rejected his arguments, writing that "national security is not a blank check to proceed with otherwise unlawful activity."
- Administration officials immediately indicated plans to appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, with the seven-day stay providing time to seek Supreme Court review.
- Congressional approval remains necessary for above-ground ballroom construction, as the court maintained the president is a "steward" of the White House rather than its "owner," reinforcing judicial limits on executive power.
154 Articles
154 Articles
Trump's ballroom construction blocked once again by judge
U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon again blocked the majority of construction on President Donald Trump's planned White House ballroom in a 10-page opinion issued Thursday. Leon rejected Trump's argument that a national security exception does not permit the entire project to proceed. The…
U.S. president slams 'Trump Hating' judge after latest legal snag over his White house ballroom
U.S. President Donald Trump railed against a federal judge's decision on Thursday that continues to block above-ground construction of a $400-million US White House ballroom, allowing only below-ground work on a bunker and other "national security facilities" at the site.
Trump Slams Judge After Ballroom Construction Blocked
Calling the ruling politically motivated and a threat to national security, President Donald Trump on Thursday lashed out at a federal judge who blocked aboveground construction of his proposed White House ballroom.
Federal Judge HALTS White House Ballroom Construction AGAIN -- President Trump Responds
It’s evident by now that the left is committed to throwing a wrench into pretty much anything President Trump does. As the latest example, a rogue federal judge is trying to stop construction of the White House ballroom — again! Today, Bush-appointed U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled that construction on the White House ballroom has to stop until Congress grants approval. However, he allowed construction of the underground portion of the pr…
Judge says security-related work on White House ballroom can go on
U.S. President Donald Trump holds a rendering of the proposed East Wing of the White House while speaking to members of the media onboard Air Force One on March 29, 2026, while en route to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, from West Palm Beach Florida. President Trump returned to Washington D.C. on Sunday following a weekend trip to Florida. (Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images) (WASHINGTON) — The federal judge presiding over the White House ballroo…
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