Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court to Allow $400m White House Ballroom Construction

• The Trump administration filed an emergency request to the US Supreme Court after an appeals court blocked construction of a White House ballroom
• Justice Department lawyers argued the 90,000-square-foot project at the East Wing is a national security necessity, citing multiple assassination attempts against Trump
• The DC Circuit ruled 2-1 on August 7 that Congress, not the executive branch, must authorise the ballroom project before construction can resume

The Trump administration on Friday asked the United States Supreme Court to let it resume construction of a $400 million ballroom at the White House, days after a federal appeals court ruled the project had no congressional authorisation.

In its filing to the Supreme Court, the administration requested that the ruling by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit be held in abeyance while it prepares a full appeal.

According to Reuters, the DC Circuit had given the administration 14 days to seek relief at the Supreme Court before its order took effect.

Why Trump says the ballroom is a security issue

Justice Department lawyers told the justices the project was "vitally required by national security," pointing to several assassination attempts against President Trump as justification. Lawyers described the case as involving "an extraordinary and unlawful injunction that will halt the ongoing construction of the integrated military complex, including a totally secure ballroom space, at the East Wing of the White House."

Trump had previously called the structure a "military centre" in a post on Truth Social, saying it would include bomb shelters, medical facilities, and shielding from drones and missiles, all incorporated into what he described as "one big, expensive, and very complex unit." He labelled the DC Circuit's ruling "horrendous" and politically motivated, warning that it left him, White House officials, and visitors exposed to attack. "This unjust decision must be overturned by the Supreme Court in its entirety," he wrote.

What the courts have ruled so far

The DC Circuit upheld a lower court's halt on above-ground construction in a 2-1 decision on August 7. The panel said the decision on whether to build a large ballroom belonged to Congress, not the executive branch, writing: "Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help."

The court also rejected the administration's national security framing, noting that such arguments "are not an automatic get-out-of-law-free card." Importantly, the court did not permanently bar the project, but blocked above-ground work until Congress grants the necessary approval.

The legal challenge was brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which sued after the administration demolished the East Wing and began building the 90,000-square-foot structure without seeking congressional authorisation.

Trump to renovate white house with $200m

Legit.ng earlier reported that US President Donald Trump is set to undertake one of the most ambitious architectural additions to the White House in decades, a $200 million ballroom adjacent to the East Wing.

The announcement, made during a press briefing on Thursday, marks the latest in a series of high-profile renovations under Trump’s administration, which have included paving over the Rose Garden and adding gold-filigree embellishments to the Oval Office.