A divided federal appeals court has ordered the Trump administration to halt above-ground construction on its controversial $400 million, 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom. In a 2-1 decision, the D.C. Circuit ruled that the president lacks unilateral authority to build the structure without congressional approval, stating that each president is a "temporary tenant" of the Executive Residence. President Trump blasted the ruling as politically motivated and vowed an immediate appeal to the Supreme Court.
Appeals court ballroom ruling
- ▪Judges Patricia Millett and Bradley Garcia, appointed by Barack Obama and Joe Biden respectively, formed the majority, while Trump-appointed Judge Neomi Rao dissented.
- ▪The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals panel stayed its order for 14 days to allow the Trump administration to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.
- ▪The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued a 2-1 ruling on August 7, 2026, ordering the Trump administration to halt above-ground construction on the $400 million White House ballroom.
Congressional approval requirement
- ▪The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Congress has full constitutional control over federal property and that the White House ballroom project requires congressional approval to proceed.
- ▪The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed the lawsuit in December 2025, arguing that only Congress can authorize the construction of a ballroom at the White House.
Trump Supreme Court appeal
- ▪President Donald Trump criticized the appeals court ruling as politically motivated and unlawful, announcing that his administration will immediately appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
- ▪President Donald Trump argued that halting construction jeopardizes national security, claiming the ballroom complex includes vital protective features like bomb shelters and top-secret military facilities.
Presidential authority limits
- ▪The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals majority stated that each President is a temporary tenant, not the owner, of the White House, and lacks constitutionally assigned authority over the property.
- ▪The appeals court majority rejected the administration's national security defense, stating that invocations of national security are not an automatic get-out-of-law-free card for executive actions.
White House construction context
- ▪U.S. District Judge Richard Leon previously ruled in April 2026 that above-ground construction must stop, but allowed underground work on the presidential bunker to continue.
- ▪The Trump administration demolished the historic East Wing of the White House in October 2025 to make way for the planned 90,000-square-foot presidential ballroom.
- ▪The Trump administration requested $1 billion in taxpayer funding for the ballroom, which Congress refused in May 2026, leading to scrutiny over the project's private and redirected funding sources.
Perspective of Trump Administration
- ▪President Donald Trump argued that halting construction jeopardizes national security, claiming the ballroom complex includes vital protective features like bomb shelters and top-secret military facilities.
- ▪President Donald Trump criticized the appeals court ruling as politically motivated and unlawful, announcing that his administration will immediately appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Perspective of National Trust for Historic Preservation
- ▪The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals majority stated that each President is a temporary tenant, not the owner, of the White House, and lacks constitutionally assigned authority over the property.
- ▪The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed the lawsuit in December 2025, arguing that only Congress can authorize the construction of a ballroom at the White House.
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