US court blocks Trump’s $400-mn White House ballroom project

Washington, Aug 7 (IANS) A divided federal appeals court in Washington on Friday ordered the US President Donald Trump administration to stop the construction of a massive 400-million-dollar new ballroom at the White House, while pausing the ruling for 14 days to allow the administration to seek Supreme Court review.

“Each President is a temporary tenant, not the owner, of the White House and its Executive Residence. The President has no — and claims no — constitutionally assigned authority over that property, which is designed and maintained for the use of all Presidents, current and future, and for the American people,” according to the 2-1 ruling by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

“We are aware of no instance in American history in which a President unilaterally and using privately collected funds demolished substantial portions of the White House that Congress authorised to be built and American taxpayers paid for. Until now,” the ruling said, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The ruling, which sided with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, noted that over just three days in October 2025, “without undertaking promised consultations or obtaining Congress’s permission,” Trump bulldozed the entire East Wing in order to construct a massive, 90,000-square-foot ballroom paid for by private funds with “no congressional oversight.”

The ruling added that “we will stay this decision for fourteen days to allow the Defendants, if they choose, to seek Supreme Court review.”

In July, Trump said that the restoration of the White House is a symbol of what he called America’s broader renewal, arguing that the country’s most recognisable building should reflect national strength, history and confidence.

Speaking from the Rose Garden on July 7, Trump devoted a significant portion of his remarks to the renovation of the White House, describing the work as both a preservation effort and a statement about the country’s future.

He also argued that the United States should possess ceremonial facilities equal to or surpassing those of other world powers.

“I was in the Great Hall of China recently… They have a very large ballroom… we’re going to have one that tops everything,” Trump said.

–IANS

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