An article summarized by the Associated Press:
A federal appeals court ruled 2-1 on Friday that the Trump administration must halt above-ground construction of its planned $400 million, 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom unless it receives authorization from Congress. The court sided with historic preservationists challenging the project, ruling that President Trump does not have unilateral authority to carry out a structural change of this scale without congressional approval.
The decision upholds an earlier order from U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, who blocked above-ground ballroom construction while allowing underground work related to bunkers, military installations, medical facilities, and other security infrastructure to continue. The Trump administration has argued that the broader project includes critical protections against threats such as drones, missiles, and biohazards, while opponents argue that those security needs don't justify proceeding with the ballroom itself without congressional authorization.
The appeals court emphasized that its ruling does not determine whether the ballroom should ultimately be built, only that the administration cannot move forward with above-ground construction without approval from Congress while the litigation continues. The court delayed enforcement of its decision for two weeks to give the administration time to appeal to the Supreme Court.
