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NewsWSVN 7 MiamiAugust 14, 2026Miami-Dade

Trump administration asks Supreme Court to allow White House ballroom construction to continue

The Trump administration has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to stay a lower court order that halted construction on a $400 million White House ballroom project. The administration seeks to continue work while it appeals the ruling, which found that the project lacked necessary Congressional approval.

White HouseSupreme CourtExecutive PowerConstructionHistoric Preservation
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Why It Matters

The case centers on the limits of presidential authority to renovate federal property without legislative authorization and the legal of preservationists to challenge such projects.

Key Facts

  • The Trump administration is seeking a Supreme Court stay to continue construction on a $400 million White House ballroom.
  • A three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals previously ruled the construction must stop because it lacks Congressional approval.
  • The proposed ballroom is 90,000 square feet and is being built where the White House East Wing previously stood.
  • The lower court suspended its own ruling for two weeks to allow time for this appeal.
  • The Supreme Court must act before the appeals court ruling takes effect on Aug. 21.
  • The administration argues the project is a 'secure ballroom space' required for national security.
  • The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued to stop the project, arguing the President lacks unilateral authority for the renovation.
  • The Justice Department argues that the current state of the site as an open construction zone poses security risks to the White House.

Who's Mentioned

organizationU.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit“Court that issued the initial injunction against construction”organizationNational Trust for Historic Preservation“Plaintiff in the lawsuit against the ballroom construction”other90,000“Square footage of the proposed ballroom”organizationU.S. Supreme Court“Highest court in the U.S. currently reviewing the stay petition”personYaakov Roth“Justice Department lawyer”personDonald Trump“President of the United States”