Trump is preparing for a long legal battle over the White House Ballroom

Washington. In the trial over his planned ballroom on the White House grounds, US President Donald Trump is preparing for a “long, hard fight in court”. At the same time, he was optimistic that the winner “as always under TRUMP” would be the USA, as he announced on his Truth Social platform. The President described his prestigious project as something that will never happen again.

On Monday, the US Supreme Court by a narrow majority allowed the ballroom to continue construction for the time being, thereby granting an urgent request from the government. However, the main proceedings continue. The decision by a majority of five to four now temporarily suspends a construction freeze that a lower court had ordered.

What was particularly explosive was that the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Roberts, sided with three liberal justices in clear words. “Today’s decision is not a victory for the separation of powers,” wrote the judge, nominated by Republican former President George W. Bush. The justification stated that no decision had been made about the legality of the project itself. Instead, the preservationists would probably generally have no right to challenge Trump's plans and a construction freeze would therefore not be legitimate. Furthermore, they could not have mentioned any specific damage.

The hall has been under construction since autumn 2025 on the site of the former east wing of the White House. According to earlier information from the White House, the several thousand square meter expansion building would allow for significantly larger state banquets than the building previously used. Trump's lawyers recently sent an urgent application to the US Supreme Court to have the further construction of the ballroom approved.

Monument preservationists had taken the US government to court to stop Trump's prestige project. The project is highly controversial because of its costs, the procurement process and the interference with the historic ensemble of the White House and has been the subject of several legal proceedings. The dispute had been fought out in court for some time.

An appeals court ruled that Trump could not build his ballroom on his own. Instead, he would have to obtain the approval of the US Parliament, and construction of the above-ground parts would therefore have to be stopped until further notice.

Trump and his team argue, however, that the ballroom is necessary for national security. The hall will be created as a place with special security standards to ensure the president's protection at events. The new complex also contributes to greater protection on the White House grounds.