Judge rejects request to block Trump White House from building its $400 million ballroom project

Federal Judge Rejects Bid to Halt Trump’s White House Ballroom Construction

A federal judge on Thursday denied a request from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to block the Trump administration from continuing construction of a $400 million ballroom where the East Wing of the White House once stood.

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled that the preservationist group was unlikely to succeed on the merits of its case, describing their legal challenge as based on a “ragtag group of theories” under the Administrative Procedure Act and the Constitution. The judge indicated the group would have a better chance of success if it amended its lawsuit.

“Unfortunately, because both sides initially focused on the President’s constitutional authority to destruct and construct the East Wing of the White House, Plaintiff didn’t bring the necessary cause of action to test the statutory authority the President claims is the basis to do this construction project without the blessing of Congress and with private funds,” Leon wrote in his decision.

The National Trust had sought a court order to pause the ballroom project until it underwent multiple independent reviews and received approval from Congress. This legal challenge represents one of the most significant disputes over modifications to the White House complex in recent decades.

President Trump quickly celebrated the ruling on social media, calling it “Great news for America” and stating that the project was ahead of schedule and under budget. He added that the ballroom “will stand long into the future as a symbol to the Greatness of America.”

Carol Quillen, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, expressed disappointment that no injunction was issued but found some encouragement in the judge’s determination that the group had standing to bring the lawsuit. “We are also pleased that he encouraged us to amend our complaint — specifically, to assert that the president has acted beyond his statutory authority — and we plan to do so promptly,” Quillen said in a statement.

The controversial ballroom project was announced by the White House last summer. By late October, the East Wing had been demolished to make way for the massive new structure, which Trump said will accommodate 999 people. According to the White House, the 90,000-square-foot ballroom will be funded entirely through private donations, including from Trump himself.

Critics have raised concerns that the president moved forward with the project before seeking proper input from key federal review panels, including the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts. Both commissions now include numerous Trump appointees, raising questions about oversight independence.

Despite these concerns, the Commission of Fine Arts approved the project at a meeting last week. The planning commission is scheduled to discuss it further at their March 5 meeting.

During a preliminary hearing in December, Judge Leon had warned the administration to refrain from making decisions on underground work that would predetermine the scope of future ballroom construction above ground. The preservationists argued that without court intervention, Trump might be emboldened to undertake even more dramatic changes to the historic complex.

“The losers will be the American public, who will be left with a massive ballroom that not only overwhelms what is perhaps the nation’s most historically important building, but will have been built in violation of an astonishingly wide range of laws,” the plaintiffs’ attorneys argued in court filings.

The administration has maintained that above-ground construction on the ballroom will not begin until April. Government lawyers argued that the preservationist group’s challenge was premature because building plans were not yet finalized. They also pointed out that previous presidents did not need congressional approval for White House renovation projects.

“Many of those projects were highly controversial in their time yet have since become accepted—even beloved—parts of the White House,” government lawyers wrote in their defense.

Judge Leon, who was nominated to the bench by Republican President George W. Bush, determined that the White House office behind the project is not an agency covered under the jurisdiction of the Administrative Procedure Act. He also ruled that the preservationists, who argued that the ballroom usurped congressional authority, did not have sufficient basis to invoke the power of the courts.

The case highlights ongoing tensions between presidential authority, historic preservation, and the role of public oversight in changes to national landmarks. The National Trust has indicated it will promptly amend its complaint as suggested by the judge.