“He is not… the owner!” U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon wrote, temporarily halting construction of President Donald Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom, underscoring a cascade of legal, regulatory and public opposition that has engulfed the controversial expansion.
Judge Leon issued the preliminary injunction on 31 March, ruling that the project cannot proceed without explicit congressional approval. The judge paused the effect of his order for 14 days to allow an appeal.
The dispute stems from the demolition of the historic East Wing of the White House in late 2025 to clear space for a roughly 90,000‑square‑foot ballroom, an addition nearly twice the size of the existing executive mansion.
Preservationists and architectural critics have argued the plan disrupts the heritage and classical symmetry of the iconic presidential residence.
President Trump joked at an Easter lunch at the White House on Wednesday (April 1), "We're building a valuable piece of real estate right back here, the, we had a judge, not a good judge, a judge, we had a Trump-hating judge give us things saying I have to get approval from Congress. You believe it? I'm giving $400 million to build a, I'm giving with donors, $400 million to build a ballroom," he said.
The lawsuit was filed in December 2025 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which contended that the administration began demolition and construction without the necessary environmental and design reviews and without securing congressional authorisation.
The group sought a court order to halt the project until it underwent independent review and legislative approval.
Earlier in February 2026, Judge Leon rejected an initial request for an injunction on procedural grounds, inviting the plaintiffs to reframe their complaint to directly challenge the president’s claimed authority.
When the amended suit returned to court, Leon agreed that Trump lacked statutory authority to carry out extensive construction without Congress’s explicit backing.
Leon said presidents act as stewards of the White House but do not own the property and must not exceed limits set by law.
The ruling emphasised that no existing statute grants the president unfettered power to undertake renovations on the scale of the ballroom without legislative consent.
Beyond the courtroom, the ballroom project has faced scrutiny from planning bodies.
The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), a federal panel responsible for development oversight in Washington, DC, postponed an early vote on Trump’s plans amid an overwhelming flood of public comments.
Tens of thousands of submissions poured in, with critics describing the design as “garish”, “hideous” and disruptive to the White House’s historic context.
Though the Commission on Fine Arts - another review panel - has previously approved design concepts, lingering questions about scale and aesthetics persist, with some experts and appointees expressing concern that the expansion could “overwhelm” the existing buildings.
Public reaction has been largely negative. An analysis of thousands of comments released before NCPC hearings found more than 97 % opposed the ballroom project.
Architectural historians and preservationists also warn that the addition could irreversibly alter the historic grounds, with design elements such as oversized columns and so‑called “fake windows” drawing derision. Polls have indicated that a majority of Americans oppose the project.
In court filings last year, lawyers even claimed the project was a matter of national security, a characterisation met with scepticism by legal observers.
Despite the legal setback, the NCPC is still expected to vote on the design plan, with some officials indicating approval may be likely.
Separate planning discussions continue, even as construction remains on hold.
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Iran and the U.S. have received a Pakistan-led ceasefire proposal, which Tehran has said is under review. The offer comes amid heightened tensions after Trump’s Hormuz threat and an Iranian missile strike on Israel that killed two people on Sunday. The U.S. has yet to react to the proposal.
Iran’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York has warned that U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to attack civilian infrastructure risks dragging the region into an “endless war,” calling for immediate action by the world body.
A new proposal to end hostilities between the United States and Iran could come into effect as soon as Monday, potentially reopening the vital Strait of Hormuz, a source familiar with the plan said on Monday.
The United Arab Emirates has warned that any settlement between the United States and Iran must guarantee free passage through the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most vital oil route.
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Iran's energy and transport infrastructure in a social media post containing expletives on Sunday (5 April), as he seperately gave Iran a deadline of Tuesday to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The crew of Artemis II mission are entering a pivotal phase of their journey, as they prepare to swing around the Moon and head back towards Earth. Now on the fifth day of their 10-day mission, the four astronauts are already witnessing views no human has ever seen.
The family of the late Virginia Giuffre have urged King Charles III to meet survivors of sexual abuse during his upcoming state visit to the United States.
Senegal has taken steps to curb government spending by banning non-essential foreign travel for ministers, as rising global oil prices place increasing pressure on the country’s finances.
India has purchased crude oil from Iran for the first time in seven years, as supply disruptions in the Middle East threaten global energy markets.
North Korea's test of a solid-fuel rocket engine is intended for intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) built with carbon fibre to extend range and allow for delivery of heavier and possibly multiple warheads, South Korean lawmakers said on Monday.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán called an emergency defence council on Sunday (5 April) after powerful explosives were discovered near a pipeline in Serbia that carries Russian gas to Hungary.
Russia launched a drone attack on Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa overnight on Monday, killing three people, including a child, and damaging infrastructure, residential and administrative buildings, the regional governor said.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 6 April, covering the latest developments you need to know.
At least 70 people are missing and two bodies have been recovered after a boat carrying migrants capsized in the Mediterranean Sea, an Italian NGO said on Sunday (5 April).
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