WASHINGTON – A federal appeals court ruled Friday evening that work can resume on President Donald Trump’s controversial $400 million ballroom project at the White House, overturning a lower court decision that had brought construction to a halt.
The three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit temporarily suspended the preliminary injunction that had stopped the project, scheduling oral arguments for June 5 to determine whether construction should cease while the legal challenge proceeds.
The appeals court’s decision reverses a Thursday ruling by U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, who determined that the ballroom construction violated federal law because it lacked congressional authorization.
The ballroom is being built where the historic White House East Wing once stood before the Trump administration demolished it. The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed the lawsuit in December, contending that neither the president nor the National Park Service had proper authority to tear down the historically significant structure.
Neither the National Trust for Historic Preservation nor White House representatives provided immediate responses to requests for comment following the Friday evening court decision.
The Trump administration has defended the project as essential modernization that will enhance both infrastructure and security at the White House. President Trump has promoted the ballroom as a signature enhancement to the presidential residence and emphasized that private donations are covering the entire cost of construction.
The June hearing will focus solely on whether work should continue during the appeal process, with the court noting that Friday’s order does not address the fundamental legal questions raised in the historic preservation lawsuit.
