• A federal appeals court halts construction on Trump's $400 million White House ballroom.
• The court ruled that the project requires congressional approval, greatly limiting presidential power.
• The Trump administration is set to appeal to the Supreme Court within 14 days.
• Critics, including the National Trust for Historic Preservation, view the ruling as a win for legal processes regarding historical sites.
• Trump retaliates, labeling the decision a "national disgrace" and a threat to national security.

A U.S. federal appeals court has ordered President Donald Trump’s administration to halt construction on a $400 million ballroom on the site of the White House's demolished East Wing. This ruling came on August 7, 2026, as the court cited the need for congressional approval for such a major alteration to the historic building, dealing a significant setback to the president's plans. The appeals court granted a stay on its ruling for 14 days, allowing the Trump administration to seek further recourse with the Supreme Court, according to Reuters and Channel News Asia.

The ruling by the Washington-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit was a 2-1 decision that upheld a preliminary injunction sought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which had sued after the East Wing was demolished without congressional consent. The court pointed out that the Congress maintains authority over federal properties, asserting that "whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide," as stated in reports from BBC and South China Morning Post.

In defending the project’s need, Trump claimed it was vital for hosting state functions and argued that modern security considerations necessitate the construction of the ballroom, which has escalated from an original budget of $200 million to potentially as much as $600 million. On social media, he called the latest court ruling a "national disgrace" and a politically motivated action against his efforts to enhance the White House, according to sources including CBS News and Los Angeles Times.

Judge Richard Leon had previously ruled that no federal statute granted Trump the authority to proceed without congressional approval and noted that the project needed to cease until legal reviews were completed, which aligns with the recent appeal court's perspective. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has maintained that only Congress has the authority to approve significant alterations to the White House, an argument echoed in statements from NPR and Al Jazeera.

The board's majority opinion, detailed by judges Patricia Millett and Bradley Garcia, remarked that allowing the construction to proceed would result in "permanent and irreversible harm" to the historical integrity of the White House. They emphasized that no instance in American history permits a president to undertake such significant alterations without congressional consent, as reported by India Times and Le Monde.