A view of the ongoing construction of a helipad (L) and ballroom (R) at the White House, as seen from the Washington Monument observation deck in Washington in July 2026
A view of the ongoing construction of a helipad (L) and ballroom (R) at the White House, as seen from the Washington Monument observation deck in Washington in July 2026
The US Supreme Court on Friday allowed President Donald Trump to continue building his massive White House ballroom for now.
Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily lifted a lower court ruling that had demanded a halt to construction of the ballroom by midnight on Friday.
Roberts's order means that the ballroom project, which has been challenged by cultural preservation groups, may proceed while litigation continues in the lower courts.
The Trump administration asked the conservative-dominated Supreme Court last week to allow it to complete construction of the ballroom and secure underground bunker at the White House, saying the project was essential for national security.
Trump ordered the demolition of the entire historic East Wing of the White House last year -- without input from Congress -- to make way for his long-desired ballroom, but the project was quickly challenged in court.
A district court ordered a halt to most work at the site, but that order had been stayed while on appeal.
The appellate court recently upheld the lower judge's order, agreeing that such a sweeping White House overhaul required the explicit consent of Congress, but gave the administration some time to appeal to the Supreme Court.
Trump initially touted the construction of the ballroom as being necessary to host galas and state dinners, but has since repeatedly pointed to the addition of a sophisticated underground military bunker and other security features.
John Sauer, the solicitor general, in the appeal to the Supreme Court, also emphasized the national security aspects of the project and argued that the president has the authority to make changes to the White House.
"The President of the United States of America is not a tenant, but rather the sole, elected head of the Executive Branch, and Congress has authorized him to renovate, secure, and protect the White House and its grounds, as other Presidents have been allowed to do, without exception," he added.
Work on the project began last year with the sudden demolition of the East Wing, which used to house the offices of the First Lady.
Trump has insisted that the ballroom will be privately financed, but media reports in June showed that significant taxpayer funds were going to the project, which could cost as much as $600 million.
The ballroom is just one of Trump's pet projects to leave his mark on Washington by the time his second term ends in January 2029, along with a renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and other parks, and construction of a gigantic arch.
Several of the projects have similarly faced legal challenges, but the ballroom project is the first to reach the Supreme Court.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism
that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness
accounts, the history behind an article.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.