Trump hails Supreme Court ruling on $400M White House ballroom; construction to continue

The US Supreme Court on Monday allowed the Trump administration to continue construction of a $400 million ballroom complex at the White House, overturning a lower-court order that had halted above-ground work while a legal challenge against the project proceeds.

The 5-4 decision was a victory for Trump, who has pushed ahead with the project despite a lawsuit arguing that the president does not have the authority to undertake such a major alteration to the White House complex without congressional approval.

The court’s unsigned order did not rule definitively on whether the ballroom itself is lawful. Instead, it found that the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the group challenging the project, likely lacked the legal standing to bring the case and said the government could face "irreparable harm" if construction were stopped.

The decision was backed by five of the court’s six conservative justices. Chief Justice John Roberts dissented, joining the court’s three liberal justices.

In a strongly worded dissent, Roberts argued that the ruling did not resolve the central legal question and said the ballroom was "likely unlawful" because Congress had not expressly authorised its construction. Roberts pointed to federal law governing construction on federal parkland and public grounds in Washington, arguing that Congress has authority over federal property in the capital.

"Today’s decision is no victory for the separation of powers," he wrote, as reported by the Associated Press.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation had argued that Trump lacked unilateral authority to demolish the White House's East Wing and replace it with a 90,000-square-foot ballroom. Lower courts had previously agreed that construction should be halted above ground while the legal challenge continued. A federal appeals court upheld that order earlier this month, saying the president could not fundamentally reshape the White House without congressional approval.

Trump welcomed the decision, calling the lawsuit "baseless" and celebrating what he described as a victory for his ballroom and wider military complex.

"I am pleased to report that the United States Supreme Court has just ruled in favor of the Ballroom/Military Complex being built without any further contingency, doubt, or threat," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

The administration has defended the project not only as an expansion of the White House but also as a national security measure. Justice Department lawyers told the Supreme Court that the complex would include a highly secure ballroom linked to an underground military installation. Trump has said the underground complex will include bomb shelters, medical facilities and protection against drones and missiles. The administration has argued that stopping construction could compromise security arrangements at the White House.

The project was initially presented as a privately funded ballroom, but national security became a central argument in the administration's legal defence after courts ordered construction to stop.

The administration demolished the White House East Wing, which had housed the first lady's offices and a White House movie theatre, to make way for the new complex. Trump has described the planned ballroom as the "greatest" of its kind and said it would be completed in 2028.

Court documents cited by the AP said construction crews were working up to 20 hours a day, with the framework expected to be completed in November and much of the exterior by April. The administration has said the broader East Wing project, including underground facilities, is already about 65% complete.

The National Trust, however, has accused the White House of attempting to accelerate construction and "outrun the courts" before the legal battle over the project's authority is resolved.

The Supreme Court's Monday order allows construction to continue for now, but the underlying legal dispute over Trump's authority to build the ballroom without Congress remains unresolved.