WASHINGTON — A divided federal appeals court on Friday ordered President Donald Trump’s administration to halt construction of a planned $400 million White House ballroom, ruling that the project cannot proceed without congressional authorization.
The 2-1 decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld a lower court order blocking aboveground construction of the 90,000-square-foot structure at the site of the former East Wing.
The court said the Constitution and federal law require Congress to authorize the project.
“Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide,” the court said, adding that the administration could not proceed without congressional approval while the legal challenge continues.
The court stayed its ruling for 14 days to give the administration time to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Trump called the decision “unjust” in a social media post and said his administration would immediately seek review from the high court.
Trump has argued that Congress does not need to approve the project because private donations, rather than appropriated federal funds, would cover its construction. He has said corporations, wealthy individuals and he himself have contributed hundreds of millions of dollars toward the project.
Congress, however, rejected the administration’s request for $1 billion for the ballroom in May. Democrats also raised concerns in June that federal funds could have been redirected to White House security measures connected to the project.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, which sued the administration in December 2025, welcomed Friday’s ruling.
The preservation group argued that only Congress has the authority to approve construction of a ballroom at the White House.
The appeals court panel included Judges Neomi Rao, Patricia Millett and Bradley Garcia. Rao, whom Trump nominated, dissented. Millett and Garcia, who were nominated by former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, respectively, formed the majority.
The ruling followed an April 16 order from U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols Leon that halted aboveground ballroom construction but allowed underground work on a bunker and other national security facilities to continue.
Government attorneys have argued that the project includes security measures designed to protect the president, his family and White House personnel from threats including drones, ballistic missiles and biological hazards.
Preservationists have challenged that argument, saying the absence of a White House ballroom does not constitute a national security emergency.
The National Capital Planning Commission gave the project final approval April 2. Trump’s administration has described the planned ballroom as the largest structural change to the White House in more than 70 years.
The planned ballroom would accommodate up to 999 people.