Appeals court rules Trump’s White House ballroom construction can move forward until April 17

Construction of President Donald Trump’s proposed White House ballroom may proceed for at least another week after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued a temporary ruling on Saturday.

In a 2-1 decision, the appellate panel paused an earlier order from Judge Richard Leon that had halted construction. 

The judge, appointed by President George W. Bush, ruled in March that the project could not move forward because the administration had not obtained authorization from Congress.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued in December 2025 to stop the construction.