Judge rules White House ballroom construction must halt until Congress OK's it

News Judge rules White House ballroom construction must halt until Congress OK's it March 31, 2026 3:59 PM ET By NPR Washington Desk Viewed from the observation level of the Washington Monument, demolition work continues where the East Wing once stood at the White House on January 05, 2026 in Washington, D.C. Heather Diehl/Getty Images North America hide caption toggle caption Heather Diehl/Getty Images North America U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon ruled Tuesday that construction on President Trump's White House ballroom "must stop until Congress authorizes its completion." Using a notable number of exclamation points, Leon said the plaintiff, the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States, is likely to succeed in their lawsuit and therefore he is granting a preliminary injunction to halt construction. "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!" Leon wrote. Leon said however that he will delay the enforcement of the injunction for 14 days because he expects the administration to appeal immediately. He also said he would allow construction to continue for "the safety and security of the White House" – a clear reference to the secure bunker being constructed under the building. A long-time dream project for President Trump, the ballroom is designed to seat 1,000 guests and will cost at least $300 million, according to estimates by the president. It has generated massive controversy and public pushback, but recently got approval from the Commission of Fine Arts , an architectural review panel now packed with Trump allies. The commission voted to give it a final signoff despite not seeing the final design. It had received more than 2,000 public comments, which according to staff were 99% negative. The National Capital Planning Commission is set to vote on the ballroom project during a meeting on Thursday. President Trump responded to the ruling i...