Judge Rules Trump Can Proceed With Controversial Construction Plans
WHO:
AP News - U.S. Appeals Court Judge Patricia Millett, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, Attorney Yaakov Roth, plaintiff attorney Tad Heuer, National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Alternet - President Trump, Justice Department, Matthew Russell Lee, Politico legal reporter Kyle Cheney.
WHAT:
AP News - The U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ordered Trump’s administration to halt aboveground work on the ballroom but allowed belowground work on a bunker and other national security facilities to continue.
AP News - The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed the lawsuit a week after the White House finished demolishing the East Wing to make way for the ballroom.
Alternet - Trump requested $1 billion from Congress for the ballroom project after claiming that funds were being raised through private donors.
AP News - The federal government is arguing that a court cannot stop the construction of a White House ballroom because it is already underway.
AP News - The ballroom project is estimated to cost $400 million and is designed to accommodate 999 people.
Alternet - The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit to block the construction of the 90,000-square-foot structure, claiming it moved ahead without public review and approvals.
Alternet - The Justice Department stated that the federal government could bulldoze the Statue of Liberty without anyone having standing to sue after the fact.
WHERE:
AP News - The construction is taking place at the White House in Washington, D.C.
Alternet - The lawsuit was filed in the context of the White House grounds.
WHEN:
AP News - The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued in December.
AP News - The hearing regarding the construction took place on a Friday, with no decision made by the judges at that time.
WHY:
AP News - The government argues that the ballroom construction addresses sensitive security concerns.
Alternet - The lawsuit claims that no president has the right to tear down part of the White House or build a ballroom on public land without public input.
HOW:
AP News - The Justice Department argued that the federal government could bulldoze the Statue of Liberty without anyone having standing to sue after the fact, as stated during the court hearing.
AP News - The government is proceeding with the construction without congressional approval, arguing that only Congress can halt the project.
AP News - The government lawyers stated that the project includes critical security features to protect against threats such as drones, ballistic missiles, and biohazards.
(UPDATED June 6, 2026 07:52 UTC)
A U.S. District Judge has ordered Trump’s administration to stop aboveground work on the controversial ballroom project, while allowing belowground construction on a bunker and other national security facilities to proceed. This ruling comes after the National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit following the demolition of the East Wing, which was completed to make way for the ballroom. In the midst of this legal battle, Trump has requested $1 billion from Congress for the project, claiming that private donors are also contributing funds.
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(UPDATED June 6, 2026 01:37 UTC)
A federal appeals court is currently hearing a case involving President Trump and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which has filed a lawsuit to block the construction of a new White House ballroom estimated to cost $400 million. The government argues that the project, which is already underway and designed to accommodate 999 people, is necessary for addressing sensitive security concerns and that only Congress has the authority to halt it. The lawsuit claims that no president has the right to alter public land, such as the White House grounds, without public input and proper approvals.