Remodeling of the White House
Court stops Trump’s ballroom construction work
April 1, 2026 – 12:43 a.mReading time: 1 min.
Setback for Donald Trump: A judge ruled that he can only build the enormous ballroom at the White House with the permission of Parliament. But the president’s side is likely to appeal.
Construction work on Donald Trump’s huge ballroom at the White House is to be stopped for the time being by a court order. They may only proceed if the US Congress approves the completion of the project, judge Richard Leon ruled in the capital Washington.
A president does not own the White House, Leon stated in the first lines of his judgment. He granted the injunction requested by a leading American historic preservation organization. At the same time, the judge suspended implementation of the decision for 14 days so that the Trump side could appeal it.
Trump had the east wing of the White House torn down and wants to have a huge ballroom built instead. The costs – financed by donations – are now estimated at $400 million. Preservationists warn that the new building could make the White House look small next to it. The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit against the project in U.S. District Court. The judge ruled that the National Trust had a sufficiently good chance of prevailing in the proceedings that an injunction could be granted.
Trump responded to the decision with a lengthy tirade on his online platform Truth Social, in which he attacked the National Trust.
