A U.S. appeals court has allowed the Trump administration to resume construction of a $400 million White House ballroom after pausing a lower court's order that had halted most above-ground work. The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit granted an administrative stay on Friday, permitting construction to continue while the court reviews the case. The next hearing is scheduled for June 5.
The dispute stems from a lawsuit filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which challenged the administration's authority to demolish the East Wing and build the ballroom without congressional approval. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon initially halted construction in March, citing the lack of congressional authorization. However, the appeals court ordered Leon to reconsider the national security implications of the pause.
The Trump administration argued that halting construction posed grave national security risks to the White House, the president, and his staff. Leon later allowed below-ground construction, including national security facilities, to proceed but barred above-ground work on the ballroom. The appeals court's stay does not rule on the merits of the case but gives the court time to review the emergency motion for a stay pending appeal.
President Trump has maintained that the ballroom project is privately funded by donors, including major corporations like Meta, Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has argued that the project violates historic preservation laws and requires congressional approval.