The court declined to immediately stop construction of the White House ballroom but barred any below‑ground work for two weeks and ordered the administration to file plans with the National Capital Planning Commission by year‑end. The National Trust for Historic Preservation argues the project violated five laws and that the environmental review was inadequate, while the government says no final plan exists and that executive actions limit judicial review. The National Park Service has backed the project and a preliminary injunction hearing is set for the second week of January. President Trump said the donor-funded ballroom could cost up to $400 million.
Judge Allows White House Ballroom Work to Continue, Imposes Two-Week Freeze on Below‑Ground Construction
A federal judge declined to immediately halt the Trump administration's construction of a new White House ballroom but imposed short-term limits and procedural requirements aimed at preserving the project's future structural decisions.
U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon told a Washington, D.C., courtroom that the National Trust for Historic Preservation had not demonstrated the kind of irreparable harm that would justify pausing the work entirely. Still, he ordered a two-week prohibition on any excavation or other below-grade construction that would determine the ballroom's final footprint or structural configuration, warning that violations would require the White House to "take it down."
The judge also directed the administration to submit construction plans to the National Capital Planning Commission by year-end. The Justice Department said it has made "initial outreach" to set up meetings with the commission.
Arguments From Both Sides
The National Trust filed the suit last week — the first major legal challenge aimed directly at President Trump and his administration over the ballroom project — arguing the president cannot demolish parts of the White House "without any review whatsoever" or construct a ballroom on public property "without giving the public an opportunity to weigh in." Plaintiffs contend the demolition and build program violates five separate laws and described the administration's environmental impact statement as "woefully inadequate." Much of the East Wing has already been demolished as part of the project.
An attorney for the preservation group told the court: "These are things that they can do...as long as they follow the rules."
The Justice Department countered that the government has no obligation to file plans with the National Capital Planning Commission for demolition or below-ground work and argued no laws have been violated because no final ballroom plan has been approved. "There is nothing final about this building," Justice Department attorney Adam Gustafson said in court.
Government lawyers further argued that planning and construction are actions of the Executive Office of the President, placing them beyond the ordinary reach of federal courts. The National Park Service, however, was repeatedly referenced in Justice Department filings and submitted a memo supporting the project.
Officials also said they are "committed" to hearing input from the Commission of Fine Arts, which currently lacks a quorum after several members were removed. The administration argued the lawsuit was brought too late, noting demolition work concluded roughly a week before the complaint was filed.
Next Steps
A preliminary injunction hearing to hear further arguments is scheduled for the second week of January.
President Trump praised the ruling, saying "we just won the case" and that he did not want the project to be held up. He said the donor-funded ballroom could cost up to $400 million — higher than an earlier $300 million estimate — but added he expects to complete the project for less. At a Hanukkah event he asked rhetorically, "Who else but in our country would sue to stop a $400 million beautiful ballroom that people have been after for the White House?"
