Judge temporarily blocks construction of Trump's White House ballroom
A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration's construction of a 90,000-square-foot ballroom to replace the White House's East Wing,
Updated on: March 31, 2026 / 6:39 PM EDT / CBS News
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled that a legal challenge brought by a preservation group that sued to block President Trump's construction project was likely to succeed on the merits, because "no statute" the government used to justify the construction "comes close to giving the President the authority he claims to have."
The ruling takes effect in 14 days. The Trump administration quickly told the court that it intends to appeal the ruling.
In December, the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the U.S. sued the administration for allegedly failing to adhere to federal guidelines prior to demolishing the East Wing and breaking ground on a ballroom. The Trust also questioned the $400 million project's funding mechanism, which is largely from private donations.
The ballroom project came together quickly. Mr. Trump announced it last summer, and by September, the East Wing had been torn down, even though the president previously said the existing White House structure would remain intact. A panel of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, filled with allies of Mr. Trump, voted unanimously to approve the ballroom proposal last month. The National Park Service has said construction could wrap up by mid-2028.