Legal battle over President Trump’s mega construction project continues despite panel approval.
Published April 2, 2026
The Planning Commission has approved President Donald Trump’s proposal to build a huge ballroom at the White House. It’s an effort to put the president’s personal touch on a national landmark that has sparked backlash and legal challenges.
The National Capital Planning Commission, which is tasked with overseeing proposed construction on federal land in the Washington, D.C., area, voted in favor of the project on Thursday.
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“Over time, I believe this ballroom will be viewed as every bit as much of a national treasure as any other major component of the White House,” said Will Scharf, the committee’s chairman and former personal attorney to President Trump.
However, the future of the banquet hall, which is slated to be built on the site of the East Wing of the White House, which President Trump demolished in October, remains uncertain. A federal judge ruled earlier this week that the project cannot move forward without Congressional approval.
“The President of the United States is the custodian of the White House for future generations of the First Family. But he is not the owner!” U.S. District Judge Richard Leon said in Tuesday’s ruling.
The US president paid little attention to the project’s contested legality, demolishing the East Wing of the White House with little advance notice and proceeding with construction despite legal challenges.
President Trump blasted Tuesday’s ruling via social media, saying the ballroom was funded by private donations, not federal funds, and that previous construction did not require Congressional approval.
“In the ballroom case, the judge said we needed to get approval from Congress. The judge was wrong!” President Trump said Wednesday. “In these circumstances, we have never received Congressional approval for anything related to the construction of the White House, large or small.”
The 12-member commission, including three appointed by President Trump, was originally scheduled to vote on the project in March. Many people registered to comment on this project, and the majority strongly opposed it, so the date was postponed.
The 90,000 square foot (8,400 square meter) site is currently estimated to cost about $400 million, and President Trump has expressed hope that it will be completed by the end of his term in early 2029. Ballroom prices have increased over time, with a July 2025 White House statement estimating the project’s cost at $200 million.
Private funding from wealthy donors has also raised questions about whether the project was a way to buy influence in the White House.
John Gollinger, a democracy advocate with Public Citizen, criticized President Trump over the project, saying, “The American people have a voice in this project, and they hate it.” “He needs to restore the White House to what the people gave him.”
