A federal appeals court has decided to maintain a freeze on construction of President Donald Trump’s proposed White House ballroom, ruling that such a major project requires approval from Congress. The three-judge panel voted 2-1 in favor of the injunction on Friday, with the majority emphasizing that the president lacks independent authority over the building and its grounds.
The two judges in the majority wrote that the White House functions as “the people’s house” and remains under congressional control, with the president serving only as a temporary occupant. They noted that no previous president in American history had unilaterally demolished substantial portions of the White House using private funding to pursue a personal construction project. The court found that allowing the ballroom work to continue would cause permanent damage to the building’s historic and architectural value.
Trump has defended the ballroom as a national security necessity and indicated he plans to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court. Critics, however, view the project as an unnecessary undertaking that bypassed proper legal procedures. The original concept for the ballroom dates back over a decade, though Trump only accelerated the plan after taking office in 2025, leading to the demolition of the White House’s East Wing in October without prior announcement.
Originally reported by Aljazeera →
About the Author
