Federal judge says he is not inclined to halt construction of White House ballroom

A federal judge Tuesday said he was not inclined to grant a National Trust for Historic Preservation request to temporarily halt construction on the White House ballroom, stating the group failed to prove it would face great harm. 

The group is asking a federal court to pause the project until it has congressional approval and multiple independent reviews. The Trump administration countered in their filing that the preservation organization has no legal standing to sue.

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, who was appointed by former President George W. Bush, said he was not convinced the group would face harm “so great and certain” in the brief period a temporary restraining order would last, per The Hill.

Leon said he would make a final decision in the coming days but highlighted the Trump administration’s arguments that below-ground construction would not begin until January, or above-ground until April, as a reason to decline the request.

U.S. Secret Service Deputy Director Matthew Quinn wrote in a declaration in the Trump administration's filing Tuesday that more work on the site is still needed to meet the agency’s “safety and security requirements.”

Quinn said that a temporary halt to construction would “consequently hamper” the Secret Service's ability to fulfill its statutory obligations and its protective mission.

The judge said he was putting the administration on “fair notice” that if it did make any changes below ground that would alter what structure is later built above ground, it should be “prepared to take it down."

According to court filings, plans for the ballroom have not been finalized despite ongoing demolition.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.