Trump ballroom construction allowed for now, US appeals court says

Construction workers demolish what is remaining of the East Wing of the White House alongside the main Residence as demolition continues in preparation to build a new ballroom for the White House in Washington, DC on Dec. 1, 2025. (AFP)

• US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit put the lower court’s preliminary injunction on hold for ‌now
• Friday’s ruling temporarily blocks a decision issued a day earlier by US District Judge Richard Leon in Washington

WASHINGTON: A US appeals ‌court allowed President Donald Trump’s administration on Friday night to continue construction of a $400 million ballroom on the site of the White House’s demolished East Wing, setting a June hearing to review a Washington judge’s order halting the project.
An order by a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit put the lower court’s preliminary injunction on hold for ‌now, giving the ‌panel time to consider the US ‌Justice ⁠Department’s request for ⁠a longer pause while the appeal is pending.
The appeals court said it will hear arguments on June 5 on whether construction should be stopped during the appeal. The order did not address the merits of the underlying lawsuit, which challenges ⁠the Trump administration’s authority to build the ‌ballroom.
The National Trust ‌for Historic Preservation, which filed the lawsuit last year, and ‌the White House did not immediately respond to ‌requests for comment after business hours.
Friday’s ruling temporarily blocks a decision issued a day earlier by US District Judge Richard Leon in Washington, who said the ‌ballroom project was unlawful without approval from the US Congress.
The National Trust sued ⁠Trump ⁠and several federal agencies in December after the administration demolished the East Wing to make way for the ballroom, arguing the president and the National Park Service lacked authority to tear down the historic structure.
Trump has championed the ballroom as a defining addition to the White House and part of his broader push to reshape Washington. The administration has said the project will modernize infrastructure and bolster security. Trump has emphasized the project is funded entirely by private donors.