A legal fight over President Donald Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom is now headed to the US Supreme Court, as his administration seeks permission to keep building despite an appeals court finding the project lacked required congressional approval.
In an emergency request filed with the high court, the Trump administration asked the justices to maintain a pause on the ruling from the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit while it prepares a full appeal to the Supreme Court.
Justice Department lawyers argued that the ballroom is not merely an architectural addition but a matter of protection, repeating Mr Trump’s claim that the project is essential to security.
Pointing to numerous assassination attempts against Mr Trump, the filing described the construction as “vitally required by national security”.
The DC Circuit, in a 2-1 decision issued on 7 August, affirmed a lower-court judge’s order requiring the administration to stop above-ground construction.
Construction on the new ballroom extension of the White House in Washington
“Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help,” the appellate panel wrote.
The court had delayed the effect of its order for 14 days, giving the administration time to seek relief from the Supreme Court.
The lawsuit was brought last year by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which challenged the administration after it demolished the East Wing and began work on an 8,360-square-metre ballroom without seeking authorisation from Congress.
Mr Trump has repeatedly framed the project as a security measure, and earlier this month referred to the structure as a “military center” in a Truth Social post.
He denounced the DC Circuit’s ruling as “horrendous” and politically motivated, saying it left him, other White House officials and visitors vulnerable to attack.
“This unjust decision must be overturned by the Supreme Court in its entirety,” Mr Trump wrote.
He said the ballroom design incorporates bomb shelters, medical facilities, and protection against drones and missiles, along with other safeguards that are “all tied together as one big, expensive, and very complex unit.”
The DC Circuit’s opinion cautioned that national security claims “are not an automatic get-out-of-law-free card.”
While the order does not permanently prohibit building a ballroom, it blocks above-ground work until the administration obtains approval from Congress.
