Appeals court rules Trump needs Congress's approval for $400 million White House ballroom
A federal appeals court has ruled the Trump administration cannot build its $400 million White House ballroom without congressional approval, pausing the order for two weeks while the case heads toward the Supreme Court.
A US federal appeals court ruled that the Trump administration cannot build its $400 million White House ballroom without congressional approval. The panel said the decision on the 90,000-square-foot ballroom belongs to Congress, and paused its ruling for 14 days so the administration can appeal to the Supreme Court.
A US federal appeals court has ruled that the Trump administration cannot build its planned $400 million White House ballroom without approval from Congress. The panel's majority said the decision of whether to construct a large ballroom on the White House grounds belongs to lawmakers, not the president, according to reports of the ruling issued on Friday, August 7. The dispute began after the administration demolished the White House East Wing in October 2025 to clear the site for a new wing housing the 90,000-square-foot State Ballroom. Construction had started the previous month. The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued following the demolition, arguing the project was illegal because the administration had not first obtained congressional approval. The appeals court sided with the preservation group, according to reports. The court paused its own ruling for 14 days to give the administration time to appeal, and the case is now expected to reach the US Supreme Court. The fight will determine whether one of the largest alterations to the White House in decades can proceed.
Appeals court blocks $400 million ballroom without Congress's sign-off
A US federal appeals court panel has ruled that the White House lacks the authority to build the $400 million ballroom without approval from Congress. The panel's majority said that whether a large ballroom should be constructed on the White House grounds is a decision for lawmakers, not the executive branch.
The ruling sided with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, according to reports, in its challenge to the project. The order was issued on Friday, August 7, according to a Reuters report from Washington by Mike Scarcella.
The decision is expected to send the case to the US Supreme Court, setting up a high-stakes legal fight over the limits of presidential power to reshape the White House complex. The appeals court's judgment leaves the Trump administration unable to proceed with the ballroom unless it can persuade the justices to intervene or secure the congressional sign-off the panel said was required.
How the East Wing demolition led to a lawsuit
The dispute traces back to the early months of Donald Trump's second term, which began on January 20, 2025. Construction at the White House site started in September 2025, and the following month the original East Wing was torn down to clear the way for a new wing. That demolition prompted the National Trust for Historic Preservation to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration.
At the centre of the project is the White House State Ballroom, a planned 90,000-square-foot venue that would stand where the East Wing previously stood, forming part of the new East Wing under construction in Washington, D.C. The project as a whole is valued at approximately $400 million.
The National Trust's challenge ultimately reached a federal appeals court, setting up the ruling that the administration lacked authority to proceed without congressional approval.
Donald Trump began his second term as the 47th president of the United States.
Construction at the White House site began.
The original East Wing was torn down to prepare for construction of the new wing.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit following the demolition of the East Wing.
An appeals court panel ruled that the White House lacks authority to build the ballroom without congressional approval, siding with the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The appeals court stayed its ruling for 14 days to give the administration time to seek Supreme Court review.
A 14-day stay and a likely Supreme Court fight
The appeals panel did not shut the project down immediately. According to a Reuters report from Washington, the court stayed its own ruling for 14 days, giving the Trump administration a window to seek review from the US Supreme Court. The decision, issued on Friday, August 7, is widely expected to send the dispute to the justices.
Whether the administration has actually filed an appeal is not yet confirmed. Also unclear is the status of construction at the White House site following the ruling. Work began there in September 2025, and the original East Wing was torn down the following month to prepare for the new wing and its 90,000-square-foot State Ballroom. For now, the two-week pause leaves the project's fate — and the question of how far a president's building authority extends — in the Supreme Court's hands.
The numbers behind the White House State Ballroom
The White House State Ballroom carries a price tag of approximately $400 million and would cover 90,000 square feet on the ground where the East Wing previously stood. The original East Wing was torn down in October 2025, roughly a month after construction at the site began in September 2025. The project was among the most visible building initiatives of Donald Trump's second term as the 47th president of the United States, which began on January 20, 2025. The appeals court stayed its ruling for 14 days while the administration weighs its next step. Available reporting does not explain how the $400 million project is being funded.
Frequently asked questions
Why did the appeals court block Trump's White House ballroom?
A US federal appeals court panel ruled that the White House lacks authority to build the ballroom without congressional approval. The panel's majority said that whether a large ballroom should be built is a decision for Congress. According to reports, the court found the project illegal because the administration had not obtained the required congressional approval first, and the ruling sided with the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
What is the Trump White House ballroom project?
The White House State Ballroom is a planned 90,000-square-foot ballroom valued at approximately $400 million. It is part of a new East Wing under construction at the White House in Washington, D.C., on the site where the original East Wing previously stood. Construction at the site began in September 2025, and the original East Wing was torn down in October 2025 to prepare for the new wing.
Who sued over the White House ballroom construction?
The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit after the Trump administration demolished the White House East Wing. The original East Wing was torn down in October 2025 to prepare for construction of the new wing containing the ballroom. The appeals court ruled in the Trust's favor, finding the ballroom project could not proceed without congressional approval. The exact date the lawsuit was filed has not been disclosed.
Will the Trump ballroom case go to the Supreme Court?
The appeals court decision is expected to send the case to the US Supreme Court. According to Reuters, the appeals court issued its order on Friday, August 7, and stayed its own ruling for 14 days to give the Trump administration time to seek Supreme Court review. Whether the administration has actually filed an appeal with the Supreme Court has not been confirmed.
Has construction on the White House ballroom been stopped?
The appeals court paused its ruling for two weeks, allowing the Trump administration time to appeal to the US Supreme Court. The current status of construction work at the site following the ruling is unclear. Work on the new East Wing, which includes the 90,000-square-foot State Ballroom, began in September 2025, and the original East Wing was demolished in October 2025.
Compiled from reporting by 13 independent outlets. How we source our reporting.
