In brief
Donald Trump has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to approve work on a $400m ballroom at the White House that has been halted by an appellate court pending Congressional approval. The move follows a legal battle that began when the administration demolished part of the East Wing without meeting required historic preservation procedures. Trump argues the ballroom is essential for national security and large events, and that the project is privately funded, so it does not need congressional oversight. The Supreme Court’s decision could allow construction to resume before the stop‑work injunction takes full effect on Aug. 21.
U.S. President Donald Trump has requested the Supreme Court authorize him to keep building a $400million ballroom at the White House, even after an appeals court ordered construction to halt pending Congress’s approval.
The emergency application follows a lawsuit from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which accused the administration of violating federal historic‑building regulations by removing part of the East Wing and starting the project without required public or legislative review.
Trump’s administration argues the ballroom is crucial for hosting large national events and includes military security features such as bomb shelters and medical centers, all financed by private donors, so congressional oversight is unnecessary.
The appeals court’s injunction will become effective on August 21, stopping construction unless the Supreme Court sides with the administration. Right now, about 65% of the ballroom has been completed, and the Solicitor General has labeled the stop as a “dangerous injunction” that could disrupt national security and event planning.
Trump’s request arrives as the administration pushes other renovations, including updates to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and a planned “Arc de Trump” inspired by Paris’s Arc de Triomphe.
