US Supreme Court Allows White House Ballroom Construction to Continue

WASHINGTON: The US Supreme Court on Friday allowed President Donald Trump’s administration to continue, for now, construction of a $400 million ballroom at the White House. Chief Justice John Roberts issued a temporary order halting enforcement of a lower court ruling that had blocked above-ground construction on the project.
The order is temporary, not a final ruling. Roberts issued it while the Supreme Court reviews the Trump administration’s emergency request to keep construction moving. The order gave no reasoning and set no date for a final decision.
At the heart of the dispute is the White House’s East Wing. The Trump administration began the project in 2025 by demolishing the East Wing to build a roughly 90,000-square-foot ballroom in its place. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, which opposes the project, argues the president exceeded his authority by making such a major alteration to federal property without congressional approval. Lower courts had also questioned the administration’s authority — the DC Circuit Court ruled that being president does not permit fundamental structural changes to the building without congressional consent. A lower court order had allowed underground work to continue while halting above-ground construction.
The Trump administration argued before the Supreme Court that the project is not merely an event space but an essential national security facility. The Justice Department told the court the ballroom would serve as a secure location and described it as part of a larger White House security and military complex, citing assassination attempts against the president and recent security threats.
Officials say the project is roughly 65% complete. The White House administration says the new ballroom is meant to provide greater capacity for major state and government events and improved security compared to the existing building. Trump welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision on Friday, though the current order is only temporary and does not mean the Court has ruled the project legal. The case now returns to the Court for further consideration of the administration’s appeal.