The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued an order Friday requiring the Trump administration to cease construction on its White House ballroom project, determining that the work cannot proceed without congressional authorization.
The three-judge panel ruled 2-1 against the administration in a 136-page decision that frames the dispute as a matter of constitutional authority. The court stayed its order for two weeks to permit an appeal to the Supreme Court.
"Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help," the appeals court wrote in its ruling.
President Trump responded within two hours on Truth Social, characterizing the decision as "horrendous, politically motivated and unlawful." He noted that the two judges who ruled against his administration were appointed by Democratic presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, and announced plans for an immediate appeal.
The administration has consistently maintained that the ballroom serves national security purposes. Trump argued Friday that the ruling endangers those who work at or visit the White House.
The decision "severely jeopardizes the lives and welfare of the people who work, and will be working, at the White House — including all future Presidents of the United States, and their families, as well as the lives of all those visiting, such as Heads of State and other Dignitaries, and all Americans who wish to visit the historic, beautiful Executive Mansion," Trump wrote.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit organization chartered by Congress, filed the lawsuit late last year seeking to halt construction until legally required review processes were completed. Brent Leggs, the organization's president and CEO, welcomed Friday's outcome.
"This is a great day for our country and for the American people's right to voice their opinions about the historic places they cherish, including the White House," Leggs said in a statement.
The legal battle began after the administration started demolishing the East Wing in October to accommodate the ballroom project. According to administration plans, the facility will encompass roughly 90,000 square feet and accommodate 1,000 guests. Initial cost estimates placed the project at $200 million, though the Washington Post reported in June that contractors' invoices suggest the total could reach at least $600 million.
The administration has maintained throughout the litigation that the case lacks legal standing and that halting work poses national security risks. Court proceedings have disclosed information about underground construction beneath the East Wing, with Trump stating that "the military is building a big complex" under the planned ballroom. The administration has cited security incidents, including the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting, to support its national security arguments.
Trump elaborated on the security features Friday, describing an integrated system of protective infrastructure.
"The single, integrated project includes Bomb Shelters, State of the Art Hospital and Medical Facilities, Protective Partitioning, Top Secret Military Facilities, Structures and Equipment, Protective Missile Resistant Steel, Columns, Roofs, and Beams, Drone Proof Ceilings and Roofs, Military Grade Venting, and Bullet, Ballistic, and Blast Proof Glass. It is all tied together as one big, expensive, and very complex unit, which is vital for National Security and Military Operations of the United States of America!" Trump wrote.
Senate Republicans proposed including $1 billion in taxpayer security funding for the ballroom as part of an immigration and border security package in May, but withdrew the provision following substantial bipartisan opposition.
The ballroom dispute represents one of several legal challenges facing Trump's efforts to reshape the capital and modify federal protections for historic sites. Other initiatives, including a proposed triumphal arch, also face litigation.
