Construction of U.S. President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom project will be allowed to continue after an appeals court granted an administrative stay, temporarily blocking a lower court order that had halted parts of the work.
The ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia means both underground and above-ground construction can proceed pending a further hearing on 5 June..
The decision follows a ruling by District Judge Richard Leon, who had ordered a partial halt to construction, arguing that the project may have required congressional approval.
Leon also questioned the administration’s argument that the development was justified on national security grounds, warning it could be used to bypass legal requirements..
“National security is not a blank cheque to proceed with otherwise unlawful activity,” he wrote.
The project has been challenged by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which argues that construction began without proper review by the National Capital Planning Commission and without congressional authorisation.
The Justice Department appealed the ruling, warning that a halt could “imperil the president and national security” and leave a large excavation site beside the Executive Residence.
The White House has defended the project, arguing it is essential for hosting large diplomatic and security-related events.
Trump said the ballroom was “needed now” and described it as part of a broader secure complex.
“It’s all tied together as one big, expensive, and very complex unit,” he said on Truth Social, adding that it would include bomb shelters and medical facilities.
He also criticised the court decision, saying judges should not be able to block the project.
The East Wing of the White House, originally built in 1902, was demolished in October to make way for the new ballroom, which is planned to accommodate up to 1,350 guests.
The White House has said the project will cost around $400 million and is being fully funded by private donors.
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Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 13 October 2026 with the top five science and technology news happening around the world. ...
One person was killed and nearly a dozen hurt in a fresh attack on Riyadh's international airport on Sunday, Saudi authorities reported, a day after a strike claimed by Yemen's Houthis killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.
Yemen's Houthis renewed warning to airlines, airport workers, and travellers against using Saudi airports, saying the warning should be taken seriously and that the kingdom “bore responsibility for failed interceptions”, a day after an attack on Riyadh's international airport that killed 12 people.
The Houthi movement has escalated their attacks on Saudi Arabia, targeting the airport in Riyadh and other cities, killing more than a dozen people.
The Kremlin on Monday rejected a 60-day ceasefire idea proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to allow his country to hold presidential elections, saying it wanted an overall peace deal instead.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said late Monday that it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi group toward Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia hit at least six energy targets in deadly strikes across Ukraine, showing Moscow is unwilling to accept the energy ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has visited a newly opened defence museum displaying weapons developed under his leadership, including an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States.
Southeast Asian foreign ministers are set to discuss measures to tackle transboundary haze during preparatory meetings ahead of the ASEAN summit in November, as forest and land fires in Indonesia continue to affect air quality across the region, the Philippines said on Tuesday.
Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said the United Kingdom believes Iran was likely behind an alleged plot connected to RAF Fairford, a military airbase in Gloucestershire in England that has played a role in U.S. operations against Iran, escalating tensions between London and Tehran.
Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has accused the Trump administration of using federal law enforcement for political purposes after authorities searched her Washington-area home as part of an ongoing criminal investigation.
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