Supreme Court temporarily allows White House ballroom construction to continue
The temporary stay pauses lower-court orders after judges said the $400 million project needed congressional approval, with 65% of the work already done.
- On Friday, August 21, 2026, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts issued a temporary stay allowing President Donald Trump's $400 million White House ballroom project to continue, blocking a lower-court injunction set to take effect that night.
- The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued to stop construction, arguing Trump lacks unilateral authority to demolish the East Wing without congressional approval, a position two Democratic-appointed judges upheld by ruling the project was "not a matter for Executive self-help."
- Justice Department filings report the project is 65% complete as of August 14, with a 250-person crew working 20 hours daily, and approximately $200 million in private donations spent or committed on the site.
- Preservationists warned that further construction progress could render the project irreversible, while the provisional stay allows work to continue pending the Supreme Court's fuller consideration of the administration's emergency appeal.
- The dispute centers on whether the President holds unilateral authority to alter federal property without legislative authorization, a constitutional question the Supreme Court must now resolve as the case proceeds through fuller review.
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376 Articles
U.S. Chief Justice lets Trump keep building ballroom
U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts said President Donald Trump can keep building his massive new White House ballroom for now, giving the Supreme Court more time to consider a longer-term order allowing continued construction.
Judge John Roberts suspended the judicial order of a lower court that paralysed most of the construction of President Donald Trump’s project, who thanked the bill for ensuring that “the military complex and dance halls (...) will be the largest of its kind.”
The US Supreme Court allowed Trump to continue the construction of the White House BallroomThe US Supreme Court has temporarily unblocked the construction of the $400 million White House ballroom. The legality of the project is still being considered.
In the appeal, lawyers noted that the annex, including the military bunker under it, was important for the security of the President and the country.
The U.S. Supreme Court has allowed President Donald Trump to continue the construction of his controversial ballroom in the White House for the time being. Chairman Judge John Roberts temporarily lifted the ruling of an intermediate court on Friday in which a construction stop had been decreed. Trump was "thankful" for the decision of the Supreme Court and praised the planned complex of ballrooms and military bunkers as "greatest of its kind." J…
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