President Donald Trump suffered a major legal setback Friday after a federal appeals court ordered most construction on his massive White House ballroom project to stop while a legal battle over the development continues.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued the decision in a 2-1 ruling, allowing certain security-related work below ground to continue while blocking most of the broader construction project.
The ruling does not immediately end Trump’s ballroom plans. The administration has two weeks to seek emergency relief from the Supreme Court before the appeals court’s broader construction restrictions take effect.
The majority concluded that Congress retains authority over funding and development involving the White House and has not specifically authorized the president’s expansive ballroom project.
“We are aware of no instance in American history in which a President unilaterally and using privately collected funds demolished substantial portions of the White House that Congress authorized to be built and American taxpayers paid for. Until now,” the majority wrote.
U.S. Circuit Judges Patricia Millett and Brad Garcia formed the majority.
Millett was appointed by former President Barack Obama, while Garcia was appointed by former President Joe Biden.
U.S. Circuit Judge Neomi Rao, who was appointed by Trump during his first administration, dissented from the ruling.
Rao argued that the federal judiciary was improperly interfering with the construction project and maintained that the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which challenged the ballroom plans, lacked standing to bring the lawsuit.
“The district court seized supervision of construction at the White House, and my colleagues affirm this judicial overreach,” Rao wrote.
“Because the injunction is beyond the proper province of the federal courts, construction should be allowed to continue,” she added.
Trump demolished the White House East Wing last fall as part of preparations for the planned 90,000-square-foot ballroom.
The enormous development is one of several projects Trump has pursued in Washington during his second term, alongside proposals involving a new arch, a golf course, the Kennedy Center and the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Some of those projects have encountered legal challenges from opponents seeking to halt or modify the administration’s plans.
The Trump administration has argued that the ballroom project goes beyond providing the White House with a significantly larger entertainment venue.
Trump has repeatedly pointed to security concerns surrounding presidential facilities and has said the development will incorporate substantial national security infrastructure.
Plans reportedly include a drone port and military facility alongside the ballroom, per Trending Politics.
The administration has also argued that Congress should not be able to block the project because construction is being financed through private donations rather than taxpayer money.
The ballroom is expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars, with corporations and other private donors contributing toward the development.
Trump has repeatedly criticized the National Trust for Historic Preservation over its challenge, arguing that the organization lacks legal standing to interfere with construction on White House grounds.
Friday’s ruling does not require every aspect of construction to cease.
Below-ground work directly connected to security infrastructure can continue, while limited above-ground construction will also be permitted when necessary to protect those installations.
The appeals court had previously allowed work on the project to proceed for months while litigation continued.
The new ruling dramatically changes that situation by placing most of the project on hold unless the administration can secure intervention from the nation’s highest court.
That could make the Supreme Court the next major battleground in Trump’s fight to complete the massive White House development.
The administration now has a two-week window to seek emergency relief before the broader construction prohibition takes effect, potentially setting up another high-profile legal showdown over the president’s plans for the White House.
