Appeals Court Blocks Above-Ground Construction of White House Ballroom, Setting Up Supreme Court Fight

A federal appeals court ruled on August 7, 2026, that construction of a proposed White House ballroom, estimated at roughly $400 million, cannot proceed above ground without approval from Congress. The court sided with historic preservation advocates who had challenged the project, with the panel's majority stating that the decision on whether such a large structure should be built is for Congress, not the executive branch, to make. The ruling affirmed an earlier decision by a federal judge that had blocked the project, though it allowed below-ground construction work to continue in the meantime. President Trump responded on social media, calling the ruling an "unjust decision" and announcing plans to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Some reporting also noted Trump characterized the halt in stronger terms, including as a "national security threat," though this framing was not corroborated across all sources. The case is now expected to move toward Supreme Court review, though no timeline for that appeal or a ruling has been confirmed. It remains unresolved whether the Supreme Court will agree to hear the case, and the ultimate fate of the ballroom project, including whether Congress will take up the matter as the appeals court suggested, is undetermined at this time.