The Court of Appeals allows the resumption of construction of Trump Hall in the White House
A three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit ruled on Saturday that construction can continue through Friday, April 17, giving the president time to seek Supreme Court review as the Trump administration claims delaying the possibility leaves the construction site exposed and risks the security of the president and his staff.
The committee asked US District Judge Richard Leon to explain whether and how his injunction conflicts with the administration’s claims about safety and security.
Government lawyers argued That the project includes important security features to protect against a range of potential threats, such as drones, ballistic missiles and biological hazards, and that disrupting construction “would put the President and others who live and work in the White House at risk.”
President Donald Trump carries a parade to the White House auditorium at an Air Force One media pool. (Mandel Ngan/AFP)
Trump also explained that the US military was installing a “heavily fortified” facility under the hall, including shelters and a medical facility.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) filed a lawsuit in December, a week after the White House finished demolishing the building. East wing For a banquet hall with an area of 90,000 square feet (8,400 square metres).
The group claimed that Trump exceeded his authority when he demolished the Old East Wing — built in 1902 during the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt and expanded in 1942 — arguing that the president needed authorization from Congress.
Trump says it’s too late to stop construction of the White House Ballroom amid a lawsuit
A rendering of the proposed White House ballroom shared by President Donald Trump on Truth Social on February 3, 2026. (Copyright Donald Trump/TruthSocial)
Trump said the president has historically had a say in the White House redesign, and has long indicated that Congress does not have to pay for the privately funded project.
A court of first instance had issued a March 31 Stop order construction of the ballroom, but also paused that order to allow for resumption.
The White House said the injunction left the White House “open and exposed.” Threat to building securityThe president, his family and his staff.
Trump unveils a new rendering of the sprawling White House ballroom project
McCrery Architects architectural rendering provided by the White House for the new ballroom. (McCreary Architects/The White House)
Carol Quillen, CEO of NTHP, said in a statement that the organization is awaiting further clarification from the district court.
She said the group is committed to “respecting the historic significance of the White House, defending our collective role as stewards, and demonstrating how broad consultation, including with the American people, leads to a better overall outcome.”
Judge Leon exempted any construction work necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House, but said he specifically reviewed materials provided by the government before determining that a halt would not jeopardize national security.
“We cannot fairly determine, based on this hurried record, whether the district court’s ‘necessary for safety and security’ exception addresses defendants’ claims of irreparable harm, and to what extent it may satisfy defendants’ asserted need for safety and security of the ballroom itself or other temporary measures to secure the safety and security of the White House, the President, staff, and visitors while this appeal is pending,” the D.C. Circuit said in its ruling.
Warren-LED investigation draws new details about Trump Hall donations from major corporations
McCrery Architects architectural rendering provided by the White House for the new ballroom. (white house)
The appeals panel noted that much of the government’s concerns focused on underground security work, which the White House said was “different from the construction of the hall itself and could proceed independently.”
The White House now asserts that those security upgrades are “inseparable” from the project as a whole, making it unclear “whether and to what extent moving forward with certain aspects of the auditorium is necessary for the safety and security of those upgrades,” the appeals court said.
Trump backs down after Michelle Obama renovates East Wing, calling old arrangement a ‘disaster’
Although Trump’s project is funded by private donations, public funds are being used to build underground bunkers and security upgrades.
The three-judge appeals court panel consisted of Justices Patricia Millett, Neomi Rao and Bradley Garcia. Millett was nominated by former President Barack ObamaRao by Trump and Garcia by President Joe Biden.
Rao wrote a dissenting opinion, citing a law that allows the president to make improvements to the White House.
Click here to download the FOX NEWS app
“Most importantly, the government has presented credible evidence of persistent security lapses at the White House that would be prolonged by a construction moratorium,” Rao wrote, adding that such concerns outweigh the “general aesthetic harms” cited in the lawsuit.
Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Post Comment