The Supreme Court, split with five votes in favor and four against, authorized the president to continue work on the ballroom at the White House: according to the judges, the association that wanted to block it had no right to sue. On the same day, a poll from the University of Massachusetts shows his approval rating at the lowest level of his second term, 32%, weighed down by the war in Iran and high prices
On the same day, a judicial victory and an opposite political signal arrive for Donald Trump. The Supreme Court gave him the green light to complete the White House ballroom, the project the president considers his legacy to America. But a new poll puts his approval at 32%, the lowest level since he returned to the White House.
Five votes in favour, four against
The judges decided in a clear split, five to four. The majority ruled that the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the organization that brought the lawsuit, has no standing to sue as it is not directly harmed by the project. In an unsigned eight-page decision, the Court made clear that it was not ruling on the legality of the work, only on who had the right to try to stop it. The ruling removes the most significant obstacle to construction and paves the way for the completion of the works.
Roberts with the three progressive justices
Those who voted against it were Chief Justice John Roberts and the three justices appointed by the Democrats. In justifying the dissent, signed by himself, Roberts defined the work as "probably illegitimate". "The White House is not just any building. In recognizing this, the Court misunderstands the injury suffered by the appellant, allowing the continuation of what is, in all likelihood, a violation of the executive branch's spending power and its authority to regulate federal property in the District of Columbia," he wrote. The head of the judiciary, who a few days earlier had granted a temporary suspension to allow the work to proceed, cited the federal rule that prohibits the construction of structures on public land in the capital without explicit authorization from Congress.
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A 400 million dollar project
The ballroom is among the initiatives Trump cares about most in his plan to "beautify" Washington. According to documents filed by the administration, at the end of August construction was 65% complete, with a team of 250 workers working twenty hours a day, seven days a week. The estimated cost is 400 million dollars, which according to the White House will be covered entirely by private donations, a reconstruction contested by many parties. Among the other interventions requested by the president are the renovation of the Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial, the renovation of the Kennedy Center and the construction of a large arch.
Approval at the minimum of the mandate
While receiving the green light, the president finds himself at the lowest point of his consensus. The University of Massachusetts Amherst poll, conducted between August 21 and 26 on one thousand respondents with a margin of error of 3.5%, sets approval at 32% and disapproval at 64%. More than two-thirds of Americans reject the handling of the war in Iran and four out of five believe the conflict has raised food and gasoline prices. One in six Trump voters say they would not vote for him again today.
"A wake-up call for the White House"
The decline also affects the Republican base: since April 2025, support among the party's voters has dropped by 14 points. "With the midterm elections in just two months, time is running out for the president and the Republican Party," observed Tatishe Nteta, director of the poll, who said a disappointing result could also put Republican control of the House at risk.
