Trump Asks Supreme Court to Resume White House Ballroom Construction

US President Donald Trump has filed an emergency application with the Supreme Court to allow construction of a 400-million-dollar ballroom at the White House to continue without first obtaining congressional approval.

Legal battle over the White House

The application comes one week after an appeals court ordered construction to halt until Congress approves the project, upholding a lawsuit filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The organisation sued the administration in 2025 after the East Wing of the White House was demolished in October to begin work without the legally required review.

US Solicitor General D. John Sauer called the stop-work order dangerous, arguing that forcing the president to seek congressional approval gives the legislature dangerous leverage. Sauer noted the ballroom is 65 percent complete and that halting work would amount to construction-by-injunction. The stop-work order is due to take effect on 21 August.

Broader Washington transformation

The administration argues the project is fully funded by private corporate donations and includes military facilities such as bomb shelters and medical treatment centres. The ballroom is part of a broader effort by Trump to reshape Washington, which also includes the renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and plans for an Arc de Trump modelled on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.