Judge rules White House ballroom construction must halt until Congress OK's it

NPR • March 31, 2026 • nation

Key Points:

U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon issued a preliminary injunction halting construction on President Trump's White House ballroom until Congress authorizes its completion, citing the National Trust for Historic Preservation's likely success in their lawsuit.
Leon emphasized that the President is steward of the White House but not its owner, and allowed a 14-day delay in enforcing the injunction to accommodate an expected appeal, while permitting construction related to White House security to continue.
The $300 million ballroom project, designed to seat 1,000 guests, has faced significant public opposition and controversy despite recent approval from the Commission of Fine Arts, which voted without seeing the final design amid mostly negative public comments.
President Trump criticized the ruling on social media, defending the project as under budget and ahead of schedule, and accused the National Trust for Historic Preservation of misplaced priorities.
The National Capital Planning Commission is scheduled to vote on the ballroom project soon, while the legal dispute continues over procedural issues and fundraising related to the construction.

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