Judge orders Trump administration to halt White House ballroom construction unless Congress OKs it
Construction cranes being used for the White House ballroom are seen around the White House, Monday, March 23, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) 2026-03-31T19:14:08Z WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the Trump administration to suspend its construction of a $400 million ballroom where it demolished the East Wing of the White House, barring construction work from proceeding without congressional approval.
U.S.
District Judge Richard Leon in Washington granted a preservationist group’s request for a preliminary injunction that temporarily halts President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom project.
Leon, who was nominated to the bench by Republican President George W.
Bush, concluded that the National Trust for Historic Preservation is likely to succeed on the merits of its claims because “no statute comes close to giving the President the authority he claims to have.” “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 wrote.
Leon suspended enforcement of his order for 14 days, acknowledging that the case “raises novel and weighty issues, that halting an ongoing construction project “may raise logistical issues.” He also recognized that the administration is likely to appeal his decision.
The judge ruled that any construction work that’s necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House is exempt from the scope of the injunction.
Leon said he reviewed material that the government privately submitted to him before concluding that halting construction wouldn’t jeopardize national security.
Trump, in a social media post, criticized the trust for suing him over a project that he said is being built at no cost to taxpayers. “Doesn’t make much sense, does it?” he wrote.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ruling.
The preservationists sued to obtain an order pausing the ballroom project until it undergoes multiple independent reviews and receives congressional approval.
The White House announced the ballroom project over the summer.
By late October, Trump had demolished the East Wing to make way for a ballroom that he said would fit 999 people.
The White House said private donations, including from Trump himself, would pay for the planned construction of a 90,000-square-foot (8,400-square-meter) ballroom.
Trump proceeded with the project before seeking inpu
原文链接: AP News