District Judge Richard Leon said construction must stop until Congress gives legal approval.
Published April 1, 2026
A judge has ruled that President Donald Trump cannot move forward with construction of a $400 million ballroom on the site of the demolished East Wing of the White House without approval from Congress.
District Judge Richard Leon on Tuesday granted a preliminary injunction filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which claims President Trump exceeded his authority to demolish the historic East Building and begin construction on a new building.
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“We conclude that the National Trust is likely to succeed on the merits because no law comes close to giving the president the powers he claims,” Leon, an appointee of former Republican President George W. Bush, said in his ruling.
“The President of the United States is the custodian of the White House to future generations of the First Family. But he is not the owner!” he said. “Construction must stop unless Congress approves this project through legal authorization!”
Leon said the order does not affect “construction necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House.”
His ruling leaves the 90,000-square-foot (8,360-square-meter) ballroom project on hold while litigation continues.
The judge said he would put the order on hold for 14 days to allow the Trump administration to appeal. Hours later, the Justice Department filed an appeal with the Washington, D.C.-based Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Carol Quillen, president and CEO of the National Trust, welcomed Leon’s ruling.
“This is a victory for the American people in a project that will have a lasting impact on one of our nation’s most beloved and iconic places,” Quillen said in a statement.
In a social media post, President Trump called the National Trust a bunch of left-wing “lunatics” and said his banquet hall was “built on budget, ahead of schedule, at no cost to taxpayers, and will be the finest building of its kind anywhere in the world.”
Republicans have championed the ballroom as a crucial addition to the White House and an enduring symbol of the presidency.
