Architect Shalom Baranes exhibits elevation drawings for a brand new $400 million ballroom on the White House to members of the National Capital Planning Commission on Jan. 8, 2026 in Washington, DC.
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A federal decide in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday blocked, for now, the development of the new White House ballroom, which President Donald Trump has closely touted.
District Court Judge Richard Leon, in his order, mentioned building of the deliberate $400 million ballroom “must stop” as a result of no legislation “comes close” to giving Trump authorized authority to construct such a construction on the White House with out authorization by Congress.
Leon mentioned that the National Trust for Historic Preservation within the United States, which had sued Trump to halt the project, was more likely to prevail within the case.
The decide enjoined Trump administration officers and the Executive Officer of the President, “from taking any action in furtherance of the physical development of the proposed ballroom at the former site of the East Wing of the White House.”
Leon mentioned the order would take impact inside 14 days. The delay offers Trump time to attraction the order.
The White House didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark by CNBC about Leon’s order.
The ruling comes months after the East Wing was demolished to make manner for the deliberate 90,000-square-foot ballroom, whose price is supposed to be lined by donations from companies and different personal donors.
“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,” Leon wrote in a memorandum opinion explaining his ruling.
“President Trump claims that Congress has given him authority in existing statutes to construct his East Wing ballroom project and to do it with private funds,” the decide wrote.
“The plaintiff, the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States … claims the President has no such authority under existing statutes and that a preliminary injunction is necessary to avoid irreparable harm.”
“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,” Leon wrote. “As such, I must therefore GRANT the National Trust’s Motion for a Preliminary Injunction, and the ballroom construction project must stop until Congress authorizes its completion.”
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