OAN Staff Sophia Flores
1:41 PM – Tuesday, March 31, 2026
A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has issued a temporary block on the construction of President Donald Trump’s new ballroom, despite the project being financed by private donors.
On Tuesday, District Court Judge Richard Leon, appointed by former President George W. Bush, ruled that construction on the new $400 million ballroom — planned for the site of the demolished East Wing of the White House — must be halted until the project receives congressional approval.
“The president may at any time go to Congress to obtain express authority to construct a ballroom and to do so with private funds,” Leon wrote. “Indeed, Congress may even choose to appropriate funds for the ballroom, or at least decide that some other funding scheme is acceptable.”
“Either way, Congress will thereby retain its authority over the nation’s property and its oversight over the Government’s spending,” the judge wrote. “And the American people will benefit from the branches of Government exercising their constitutionally prescribed roles. Not a bad outcome, that!”
The order, which is set to take effect in 14 days, allows the Trump administration two weeks to file an immediate appeal with the D.C. Circuit Court before it is implemented.
Meanwhile, the ruling follows a claim by the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) that the Trump administration bypassed Congress and failed to complete the required federal review process before demolition began on the planned 90,000-square-foot venue.
“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.
Conversely, Trump argues that U.S. presidents do not automatically need Congress’s approval for renovations, construction, or demolition work at the White House, as congressional approval is only needed when federal funds are needed.
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