Ruling gives more time for work on Trump's White House ballroom

April 12, 2026 Cosmopolite
Ruling gives more time for work on Trump's White House ballroom

A federal court of appeals has ruled work can continue onPresident Trump's new$400 million White House ballroom– for now.

USA TODAY

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbiaruled on Saturday, April 11, that construction on the ballroom can proceed until at least April 17. That extends by three daysa March 31 rulingby U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Leon, which allowed construction to continue while the government appealed the decision.

The appeals judges voted 2-1 to extend the pause to April 17 and asked the district court to clarify the order that granted the injunction. The Trump Administration argued inan April 3 motionthat thepotential April 14 work stoppage left the White House "open and exposed"and created "grave national-security harms" to the building, the president and his family and staff.

<p style=Construction work has been stopped on President Trump's White House Ballroom on the site of the former East Wing of the White House on April 1, 2026 in Washington, DC. A federal judge has temporarily blocked construction of the new ballroom "unless and until Congress blesses this project."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> A deep hole is visible as construction work has been ordered halted on President Trump's White House Ballroom on the site of the former East Wing of the White House on April 1, 2026 in Washington, DC. A federal judge has temporarily blocked construction of the new ballroom Construction equipment and supplies are visible along Pennsylvania Avenue as construction work has been stopped on President Trump's White House Ballroom on the site of the former East Wing of the White House on April 1, 2026 in Washington, DC. A federal judge has temporarily blocked construction of the new ballroom Seen from the Washington Monument on Nov. 14, 2025, in Washington, DC, construction crews continue to remove the East Wing of the White House and prepare for the new ballroom construction. Construction crews continue to remove the East Wing of the White House and prepare for the new ballroom construction as seen from the newly reopened Washington Monument on Nov. 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. Construction crews continue to remove the East Wing of the White House and prepare for the new ballroom construction as seen from the newly reopened Washington Monument on Nov. 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. An excavator works to clear rubble after the East Wing of the White House was demolished on Oct. 23, 2025 in Washington, DC. The demolition is part of U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to build a multimillion-dollar ballroom on the eastern side of the White House. An excavator works to clear rubble after the East Wing of the White House was demolished on Oct. 23, 2025 in Washington, DC. The demolition is part of U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to build a ballroom reportedly costing at least $250 million on the eastern side of the White House. An excavator works to clear rubble after the East Wing of the White House was demolished on Oct. 23, 2025 in Washington, DC. The demolition is part of U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to build a multimillion-dollar ballroom on the eastern side of the White House. <p style=An aerial view shows the Demolition of the East Wing of the White House, where U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed ballroom will be built, in Washington, D.C., U.S., October 23, 2025, in this picture obtained from social media.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> A golfer tees off as a truck exits a makeshift dump site after dropping soil and debris from the East Wing of the White House in Washington, DC, on Oct. 23, 2025. A construction worker walks through a makeshift dumpsite where soil and debris from the East Wing of the White House are being discarded following U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed ballroom, which is being constructed, at the East Potomac Golf Course in Washington on Oct. 23, 2025. The facade of the East Wing of the White House is demolished by work crews on Oct. 22, 2025 in Washington, DC. The demolition is part of U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to build a ballroom reportedly costing $250 million on the eastern side of the White House. Heavy machinery tears down a section of the East Wing of the White House as construction begins on President Donald Trump's planned ballroom, in Washington, DC, on Oct. 22, 2025. The facade of the East Wing of the White House is demolished by work crews on Oct. 22, 2025 in Washington, DC. The demolition is part of U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to build a ballroom reportedly costing $250 million on the eastern side of the White House. A truck drives out of the White House as work continues to tear down a section of the East Wing of the White House to begin construction of President Donald Trump's planned ballroom, in Washington, DC, on Oct. 22, 2025. US President Donald Trump held a glitzy dinner October 15, 2025 to thank billionaires and top companies for donating to the new $250 million ballroom he is building at the White House. The guests included representatives from tech firms like Amazon, Apple, Meta, Google, Microsoft and Palantir and defense giant Lockheed Martin, according to US media citing a White House guest list. Ongoing construction on the East Wing of the White House, where U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed ballroom is being built, in Washington, D.C., October 20, 2025. Workers demolish the facade of the East Wing of the White House on October 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. The demolition is part of U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to build a ballroom reportedly costing $250 million on the eastern side of the White House. The facade of the East Wing of the White House is demolished by work crews on Oct. 20, 2025, in Washington, DC. The construction is part of President Donald Trump's plan to build a $250 million ballroom. <p style=Ongoing construction on the East Wing of the White House, where U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed ballroom is being built, in Washington, D.C., October 20, 2025.

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White House East Wing demolished to clear the way for Trump's ballroom: Photos

Construction work has been stopped on President Trump'sWhite House Ballroomon the site of the former East Wing of the White House on April 1, 2026 in Washington, DC. A federal judge has temporarily blocked construction of the new ballroom "unless and until Congress blesses this project."

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Leon, an ​appointee of Republican former President George W. Bush, had ruled construction on the90,000-square-foot ballroommust pause whilea lawsuit, filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States, made its ​way through the courts. The lawsuit seeks to halt the $400 million project on the site of the recentlydemolished East Wing, alleging it is unlawful and has asked the court to halt further construction until the plans go through a legally mandatedreview process.

Workers are seen at the site of the White House ballroom construction on April 11, 2026 in Washington, DC.

In the order issued April 11, the three-judge panel wrote that “it remains unclear whether and to what extent the development of certain aspects of the proposed ballroom is necessary to ensure the safety and security of those below-ground national security upgrades, or otherwise to ensure the safety of the White House and its occupants while the appeal proceeds.”

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So the panel asked Leon to address how his earlier ruling handles the issue of "safety and security pending litigation.”

The three-judge panel is made up ofPatricia Ann Millett, appointed in 2013 by then-President Barack Obama;Bradley Garcia, a 2023 appointee of PresidentJoe Biden; and Neomi Rao, appointed by Trumpin 2018 to replace Justice Brett Kavanaughon the appeals court.

Rao issued a dissenting statement arguing that the National Trust "lacks standing to sue" and that Trump is authorized to make improvements to the White House.

The National Trust for Historic Preservationsued in December 2025, arguing Trump exceeded his authority when he razed the historic East Wing – originally built in 1902 during Theodore Roosevelt's presidency and expanded in 1942 – without congressional authorization.

<p style=Detailed renderings reveal the scale of the proposed 89,000-square-foot White House ballroom. The images by Shalom Baranes Associates—later removed from the National Capital Planning Commission’s website—show a new East Wing roughly a city block long, longer than the West Wing and more than half the length of the adjacent Treasury Building.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Detailed renderings reveal the scale of the proposed 89,000-square-foot White House ballroom. The images by Shalom Baranes Associates—later removed from the National Capital Planning Commission’s website—show a new East Wing roughly a city block long, longer than the West Wing and more than half the length of the adjacent Treasury Building. Detailed renderings reveal the scale of the proposed 89,000-square-foot White House ballroom. The images by Shalom Baranes Associates—later removed from the National Capital Planning Commission’s website—show a new East Wing roughly a city block long, longer than the West Wing and more than half the length of the adjacent Treasury Building. Detailed renderings reveal the scale of the proposed 89,000-square-foot White House ballroom. The images by Shalom Baranes Associates—later removed from the National Capital Planning Commission’s website—show a new East Wing roughly a city block long, longer than the West Wing and more than half the length of the adjacent Treasury Building. Detailed renderings reveal the scale of the proposed 89,000-square-foot White House ballroom. The images by Shalom Baranes Associates—later removed from the National Capital Planning Commission’s website—show a new East Wing roughly a city block long, longer than the West Wing and more than half the length of the adjacent Treasury Building. Detailed renderings reveal the scale of the proposed 89,000-square-foot White House ballroom. The images by Shalom Baranes Associates—later removed from the National Capital Planning Commission’s website—show a new East Wing roughly a city block long, longer than the West Wing and more than half the length of the adjacent Treasury Building. Detailed renderings reveal the scale of the proposed 89,000-square-foot White House ballroom. The images by Shalom Baranes Associates—later removed from the National Capital Planning Commission’s website—show a new East Wing roughly a city block long, longer than the West Wing and more than half the length of the adjacent Treasury Building. Detailed renderings reveal the scale of the proposed 89,000-square-foot White House ballroom. The images by Shalom Baranes Associates—later removed from the National Capital Planning Commission’s website—show a new East Wing roughly a city block long, longer than the West Wing and more than half the length of the adjacent Treasury Building. Detailed renderings reveal the scale of the proposed 89,000-square-foot White House ballroom. The images by Shalom Baranes Associates—later removed from the National Capital Planning Commission’s website—show a new East Wing roughly a city block long, longer than the West Wing and more than half the length of the adjacent Treasury Building. Detailed renderings reveal the scale of the proposed 89,000-square-foot White House ballroom. The images by Shalom Baranes Associates—later removed from the National Capital Planning Commission’s website—show a new East Wing roughly a city block long, longer than the West Wing and more than half the length of the adjacent Treasury Building. Detailed renderings reveal the scale of the proposed 89,000-square-foot White House ballroom. The images by Shalom Baranes Associates—later removed from the National Capital Planning Commission’s website—show a new East Wing roughly a city block long, longer than the West Wing and more than half the length of the adjacent Treasury Building. Detailed renderings reveal the scale of the proposed 89,000-square-foot White House ballroom. The images by Shalom Baranes Associates—later removed from the National Capital Planning Commission’s website—show a new East Wing roughly a city block long, longer than the West Wing and more than half the length of the adjacent Treasury Building. Detailed renderings reveal the scale of the proposed 89,000-square-foot White House ballroom. The images by Shalom Baranes Associates—later removed from the National Capital Planning Commission’s website—show a new East Wing roughly a city block long, longer than the West Wing and more than half the length of the adjacent Treasury Building. Detailed renderings reveal the scale of the proposed 89,000-square-foot White House ballroom. The images by Shalom Baranes Associates—later removed from the National Capital Planning Commission’s website—show a new East Wing roughly a city block long, longer than the West Wing and more than half the length of the adjacent Treasury Building. Detailed renderings reveal the scale of the proposed 89,000-square-foot White House ballroom. The images by Shalom Baranes Associates—later removed from the National Capital Planning Commission’s website—show a new East Wing roughly a city block long, longer than the West Wing and more than half the length of the adjacent Treasury Building. Detailed renderings reveal the scale of the proposed 89,000-square-foot White House ballroom. The images by Shalom Baranes Associates—later removed from the National Capital Planning Commission’s website—show a new East Wing roughly a city block long, longer than the West Wing and more than half the length of the adjacent Treasury Building. Detailed renderings reveal the scale of the proposed 89,000-square-foot White House ballroom. The images by Shalom Baranes Associates—later removed from the National Capital Planning Commission’s website—show a new East Wing roughly a city block long, longer than the West Wing and more than half the length of the adjacent Treasury Building. Detailed renderings reveal the scale of the proposed 89,000-square-foot White House ballroom. The images by Shalom Baranes Associates—later removed from the National Capital Planning Commission’s website—show a new East Wing roughly a city block long, longer than the West Wing and more than half the length of the adjacent Treasury Building. Detailed renderings reveal the scale of the proposed 89,000-square-foot White House ballroom. The images by Shalom Baranes Associates—later removed from the National Capital Planning Commission’s website—show a new East Wing roughly a city block long, longer than the West Wing and more than half the length of the adjacent Treasury Building. Detailed renderings reveal the scale of the proposed 89,000-square-foot White House ballroom. The images by Shalom Baranes Associates—later removed from the National Capital Planning Commission’s website—show a new East Wing roughly a city block long, longer than the West Wing and more than half the length of the adjacent Treasury Building.

See new renderings of massive 89,000-square-foot White House ballroom

Detailed renderings reveal the scale of the proposed 89,000-square-footWhite House ballroom. The images by Shalom Baranes Associates—later removed from the National Capital Planning Commission’s website—show a new East Wing roughly a city block long, longer than the West Wing and more than half the length of the adjacent Treasury Building.

Contributing: Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,USA TODAY, and Reuters.

Mike Snider is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him atmikegsnider&@mikegsnider.bsky.social&@mikesnider& msnider@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Court gives Trump's White House ballroom plans more work time

 

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