A federal judge on Tuesday ordered construction of the White House ballroom project halted, siding with a historic preservation group that argued the effort violated federal law.
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon said the group is likely to succeed on the merits of its case, writing that “no statute comes close to giving the President the authority he claims to have,” according to the ruling.
The injunction temporarily stops work on the project, though the judge delayed enforcement for 14 days to allow the White House time to appeal.
The Department of Justice filed a notice of appeal later Tuesday afternoon to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, formally challenging the district court’s decision granting a preliminary injunction blocking the project.
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“I will therefore delay enforcement of the injunction for fourteen days,” Leon wrote in his ruling.
The lawsuit was brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which argued the project required congressional authorization before moving forward.
In his opinion, Leon said construction could resume if Congress explicitly approves the project or authorizes funding, emphasizing that lawmakers retain authority over federal property and spending.
President Donald Trump blasted the lawsuit in a post on Truth Social, calling the National Trust for Historic Preservation a “Radical Left Group of Lunatics” and defending the ballroom project as “under budget” and “being built at no cost to the taxpayer.”
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“The National Trust for Historic Preservation sues me for a Ballroom that is under budget, ahead of schedule, being built at no cost to the Taxpayer, and will be the finest Building of its kind anywhere in the World,” the president wrote.
In a separate post on Truth Social, Trump argued the ruling requiring congressional approval was incorrect, writing that such approval “has never been given” for similar White House construction projects “big or small” and noting the ballroom is being funded through private donations rather than taxpayer money.
The president shared visual renderings of the proposed ballroom early last month on Truth Social, which feature Greco-Roman columns and will span 90,000 square feet, according to a White House release.
Trump has spearheaded several Washington, D.C. renovation and beautification projects since re-entering office, including upcoming construction slated for July on the Trump-Kennedy Center and most recently cleaning the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall.
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