The Supreme Court on Friday allowed construction of President Trump’s planned White House ballroom to continue for now, issuing a brief order that stayed a lower court’s injunction pausing the project. The one-paragraph order was signed by Chief Justice John Roberts.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued to halt the work, arguing that building over the former East Wing — which housed offices for the first lady — requires congressional approval. The nonprofit warned that allowing construction to go forward while litigation is pending would let the administration “outrun judicial review,” effectively ending the case before the courts could decide on the merits.
The ballroom project is large and costly. The planned addition has been described as roughly 90,000 square feet — about twice the size of the main White House complex — and has been estimated to cost taxpayers at least $300 million, despite repeated claims by the president that taxpayers would not fund it.
Trump has defended the project as necessary for hosting events with foreign dignitaries and has repeatedly framed the ballroom as providing national security benefits. He has said the facility would include features such as bomb shelters, a hospital, sniper positions and a drone port. After the Supreme Court’s order, Trump praised the decision on social media, calling the development “vital for National Security” and dubbing it the “Military/Ballroom Complex” and “THE GREATEST OF ITS KIND!”
The case has moved through multiple courts this year. In March, Republican-appointed Judge Richard Leon ruled against the administration and ordered construction stopped unless the changes were strictly safety- or security-related. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals later allowed work to continue temporarily, and Judge Leon clarified that below-ground work could proceed while above-ground construction should remain halted. The administration then sought emergency review from the Supreme Court.
Construction began last July and has already led to closures on the north side of the White House and parts of Lafayette Park that were formerly open to the public. The project, along with other efforts by the administration to reshape parts of Washington, has been unpopular with many voters: an April Washington Post–ABC News–Ipsos poll found 56% of Americans disapproved of tearing down the East Wing to build the ballroom.
With the Supreme Court’s short order, building may continue while the underlying legal dispute works its way through the courts. The National Trust and its lawyers have signaled they will continue to press their arguments that congressional approval is required. NPR’s Emily Feng contributed reporting from Washington.