Trump voices outrage after judge orders halt to White House ballroom project

Donald Trump has voiced outrage after a judge ordered a halt to the construction of his $400m ballroom at the White House.

US District Judge Richard Leon granted a preservationist group's request for a preliminary injunction that temporarily halts the construction project on the site where the East Wing of the White House was demolished.

The legal action was brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation to obtain an order to pause construction until the plan has undergone independent reviews and obtained congressional approval.

The judge wrote: "I have concluded that the National Trust is likely to succeed on the merits because no statute comes close to giving the President the authority he claims to have.

"The President of the United States is the steward of the White House for future generations of First Families. He is not, however, the owner!"

The judge suspended enforcement of his order for 14 days, acknowledging that the case "raises novel and weighty issues, that halting an ongoing construction project "may raise logistical issues".

In response, Mr Trump branded the National Trust for Historic Preservation "a radical left group of lunatics whose funding was stopped by Congress in 2005".

He added that the group "sues me for a ballroom that is under budget, ahead of schedule, being built at no cost to the taxpayer, and will be the finest building of its kind anywhere in the world".

The major construction project has been funded by private donors, including Mr Trump himself.

The 90,000sq ft ballroom will be able to hold 999 people, Mr Trump has said.

The US president proceeded with the project before seeking input from federal review panels, the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts. He has stacked both commissions with allies.

Mr Trump has championed the ballroom as a defining addition to the White House, and part of his presidential legacy.

He has declared it will be the "finest" ballroom in the country.

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The National Trust first sued Trump and several federal agencies in December after the administration demolished the East Wing, which was originally constructed in 1902 and expanded four decades later under Franklin Roosevelt.

The group has argued that the president and the National Park Service doesn't have the authority to tear down the historic structure or build another without the approval of congress.

The group launched another legal bid on 26 February, that Judge Leon rejected the challenge as a "ragtag group" of legal theories, adding the group should amend the lawsuit.

The Trump administration has said the ballroom will modernise infrastructure, improve security and ease strain on the
Executive Mansion, which often relies on temporary outdoor structures to host large events.

Its lawyers have argued that other presidents have not required congressional approval for other renovation projects.

"Many of those projects were highly controversial in their time yet have since become accepted - even beloved - parts of the White House," government attorneys wrote.

Construction had been due to start in April.

Judge Leon said it was likely the administration would appeal the decision.

If the construction of the ballroom goes ahead, it would mark the most significant change to the White House since Harry S Truman added a balcony to the south side of the mansion.

Mr Trump has embarked on a push to revamp Washington's monuments, including plans for a 76m (250ft) arch and major renovations on the Kennedy Centre.

(c) Sky News 2026: Trump voices outrage after judge orders halt to White House ballroom project