- US President Donald Trump announced that his administration would appeal to the US Supreme Court after a federal appeals court ordered a halt to the construction of a $400 million ballroom at the White House.
- The Washington-based US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld a preliminary injunction that halted above-ground construction of the ballroom, stating that a president is "a temporary tenant, not the owner, of the White House".
- In a 2-1 ruling, the court emphasized that the decision to construct a massive ballroom should be made by Congress and not the Executive Branch.
- The appeals court stayed its ruling for 14 days, allowing the Trump administration time to seek relief from the Supreme Court.
- The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit after the Trump administration began constructing the ballroom without seeking congressional approval following the demolition of the East Wing.
- District Judge Richard Leon previously blocked above-ground construction of the ballroom while allowing underground work to continue.
A federal appeals court has ruled against the Trump administration's $400 million ballroom project at the White House, stating that the president is merely a temporary tenant and cannot make significant changes without congressional approval.135
The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued a 2-1 ruling, emphasizing that decisions regarding such constructions should be made by Congress, not through executive action. “Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help,” the majority opinion stated.
The court's decision comes after a lawsuit from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which argued that the administration's actions violated preservation laws. The ruling temporarily halts above-ground construction while the case is ongoing, although underground work may continue.
Trump's administration has been granted a 14-day stay to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court. “The decision has been stayed, and does not take effect for a period of time. We will be immediately appealing to the United States Supreme Court,” Trump announced on social media.
In dissent, Circuit Judge Neomi Rao criticized the majority's decision, claiming it represents judicial overreach. “The district court seized supervision of construction at the White House, and my colleagues affirm this judicial overreach,” she wrote. The case highlights ongoing tensions between the executive branch and preservation advocates regarding the future of historic sites.
“The appeals court ruled 2-1 that a president is 'a temporary tenant, not the owner' of the White House, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which sued, called it 'a great day for our country.' The court stayed its ruling for 14 days, and the project's cost has doubled from original estimates.”
