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U.S. judge blocks Trump’s $400m White House ballroom project
U.S. President Donald Trump talks to members of the media while holding up renderings of the planned White House ballroom, 29 March, 2026.
Reuters
A U.S. judge has blocked President Donald Trump from moving ahead with plans to build a $400 million ballroom on the site of the demolished East Wing of the White House, pausing one of the most high-profile efforts to reshape the presidential complex.
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in Washington granted a preliminary injunction sought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which argues that Trump overstepped his authority by tearing down the historic structure and launching construction without congressional approval.
The ruling by a judge appointed by former President George W. Bush keeps the planned 90,000-square-foot ballroom on hold while the case proceeds.
Trump has promoted the project as a signature addition to the White House and a lasting symbol of his presidency.
The decision represents a setback for the Justice Department, which opposed the injunction and has defended the project as a permissible upgrade to modernise the White House grounds.
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The National Trust filed its lawsuit in December after the administration demolished the East Wing, originally built in 1902 and later expanded during the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt to make way for what Trump has described as the “finest” ballroom in the country.
The group contends that neither the president nor the National Park Service, which oversees the White House grounds, had the authority to remove the historic building or construct a major new facility without explicit approval from Congress.
During a hearing on 17 March, Judge Leon questioned government lawyers over what he described as shifting legal arguments about presidential authority, calling the White House grounds a “special place” and an “iconic symbol” of the nation.
The Trump administration has argued that the ballroom would modernise infrastructure, improve security and reduce reliance on temporary outdoor structures used for large events.
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Officials have also stressed that the project is being funded entirely by private donors, a point Trump has repeatedly highlighted.
In February, a panel of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, made up entirely of Trump appointees, voted unanimously (6-0) to approve the design.
The ballroom forms part of a broader push by Trump to reshape Washington’s monumental core, including proposals for a 250-foot arch and changes to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, a major cultural landmark.
The White House itself has also been floated as a potential venue for major public events, with reports of a proposed UFC White House event card featuring fighters such as Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje, alongside Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane, signalling a broader effort to reimagine how the presidential grounds are used, even as legal challenges to physical changes continue.
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