Construction on President Trump’s planned White House ballroom may go forward for now after a federal judge declined to pause the project. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon refused the preservation group’s request for an injunction on Thursday but indicated the lawsuit could be amended and reconsidered.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation had argued the administration failed to follow proper procedures when it cleared the way to remove the East Wing and solicited private contributions for the roughly $300 million ballroom. Judge Leon said he was not ruling on the underlying merits because of how the complaint was framed, and he invited the Trust to file a revised complaint so the court can promptly address any viable legal claims.
The president reacted on social media, celebrating the decision and saying efforts to stop construction had been rejected. Judge Leon’s written order, however, did not go that far; it focused on standing and the procedural posture of the case rather than on whether the project itself complies with statutory limits.
The National Trust said it was disappointed by the denial of a preliminary injunction but welcomed the court’s finding that it has standing to sue. Carol Quillen, the Trust’s president and CEO, said the organization plans to amend its complaint to assert that the president exceeded statutory authority and will pursue additional legal measures to block the construction.
The ballroom, designed to seat about 1,000 guests, has been a high-priority project for Trump and has drawn public controversy. The Commission of Fine Arts, an architectural review panel whose membership now includes multiple Trump appointees, recently voted to approve the proposal despite not having seen a final design. Agency staff reported receiving more than 2,000 public comments, which they said were overwhelmingly negative.
The White House is also seeking sign-off from the National Capital Planning Commission, which is scheduled to review the plans at a March 5 meeting; final approval is not expected until April. The administration says the project is ahead of schedule and under budget, and the president has called the ballroom a lasting symbol intended for large state events and future inaugurations.