Judge halts Trump's 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom construction

Construction on Trump's White House Ballroom on the site of the former East Wing on March 8, 2026. Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images 2026-03-31T20:53:04.900Z Share Copy link Email Facebook WhatsApp X LinkedIn Bluesky Threads lighning bolt icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt.

Impact Link Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Log in. A federal judge has ordered that President Trump 'stop!' construction on the White House ballroom. The judge found that the president lacks the legal authority to build without Congress's approval. He ordered the renovations, which are already underway, halted until Congress OKs it. AI-generated summary Summaries are generated by an AI model trained on Business Insider's articles. AI may make mistakes or provide inaccurate/incomplete information. We're unable to load that answer right now. Please try again. What is the role of Congress in such projects? What are the legal limits of presidential power? What are the historical preservation concerns here? How does this ruling impact future presidencies? How do preservationists influence federal projects? A federal judge on Tuesday ordered President Donald Trump to stop construction on a new White House ballroom, citing a lack of congressional approval. Loading audio narration... "Unless and until Congress blesses this project through statutory authorization, construction has to stop!" US District Judge Richard Leon of the District of Columbia ruled on Tuesday.The ruling gives the White House 14 days to comply with the order, allowing them time to ask a higher court to pause it while they appeal.

The White House didn't immediately return a request for comment. Trump on Truth Social blasted the organization that sued him, saying the ballroom project "is under budget, ahead of schedule, being built at no cost to the Taxpayer, and will be the finest Building of its kind anywhere in the World."The White House in July announced plans to build a new ballroom to host guests of the roughly 230-year-old building. The new 90,000-square-foot ballroom would be "ornately designed" and able to seat "650 people" — up from 200, the press release said. The construction would cost an estimated $400 million. Preservationist group The National Trust for Historic Preservation of the United States sought to block construction, arguing that the renovations would disrupt the building's historic character and that the White House lacked the legal authority to carry them out."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 said. "But here is the good news," the judge added. "It is not too late for Congress to authorize the continued construction of the ballroom project."