A United States federal appeals court has halted President Donald Trump’s plan to construct a $400 million ballroom at the White House, ruling that the project cannot proceed without approval from Congress.
The decision was delivered after the National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a legal challenge against the Trump administration over the demolition of the White House’s East Wing to create space for the proposed ballroom.
Earlier, District Judge Richard Leon issued an order preventing above-ground construction activities while allowing underground work to continue. The Trump administration later appealed the ruling.
However, in a 2-1 decision on Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit rejected the appeal, stating that the president did not have the legal authority to undertake such a major alteration to the White House without congressional consent.
The court noted that the White House belongs to the American people and that presidents only occupy it temporarily, meaning no individual president has the power to make permanent structural changes without proper approval.
“Each President is a temporary tenant, not the owner, of the White House and its Executive Residence,” the court stated, adding that the property is preserved for current and future administrations as well as the public.
The judges further referenced the National Park Service’s position that the White House is not only the president’s residence but also a historic national site representing public expression and democratic discourse.
The court has given the Trump administration 14 days to appeal the decision before the Supreme Court.
The legal battle began after Trump ordered the removal of the East Wing as part of his plan to build the new ballroom, which was estimated to cost about $400 million.