The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled Saturday that construction on a proposed White House ballroom may continue until April 17 while the Trump administration appeals a lower court order that had halted work pending congressional approval.
A three-judge panel, 2-1, stayed U.S. District Judge Richard Leon’s March ruling that required construction to stop by April 14 “until Congress authorizes its completion.” The stay allows the administration time to seek further review, including potentially at the Supreme Court. Leon is a George W. Bush appointee.
The project, opposed in a lawsuit by the National Trust for Historic Preservation filed in December, calls for demolishing the East Wing to build a neoclassical ballroom seating about 1,000 guests with an expected cost of at least $300 million. Demolition of the East Wing began in October.
President Trump and his lawyers have defended the work, arguing the space is needed for large events and raising national security concerns tied to upgrades to a World War II–era bunker beneath the site. Trump told reporters on March 29 that “the military is building a big complex under the ballroom,” saying the ballroom would serve as a cover for the facility and that high-grade bulletproof glass would protect it.
The ballroom plan received approval in February from the Commission of Fine Arts, a federal advisory body with D.C. construction review authority whose membership includes a majority of Trump appointees.
Carol Quillen, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said the organization was not worried about construction continuing for an additional three days and appreciated the court’s prompt action. The nonprofit said it remains committed to preserving the White House’s historic significance and to broad public consultation. Trump administration attorneys did not respond to NPR’s request for comment.