A federal judge ruled Thursday against a bid by a historic preservation group to halt President Donald Trump’s privately funded White House ballroom project after the demolition of the East Wing, dismissing the group’s request for a temporary pause. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon said the National Trust for Historic Preservation was unlikely to succeed on the merits of its bid to stop the administration from continuing construction.
Leon rejected the National Trust’s request to temporarily block the project, saying the preservationists’ challenge hinged on a set of legal claims he described as a “ragtag group of theories” under the Administrative Procedure Act and the Constitution. In his written ruling, Leon also said the group did not bring “the necessary cause of action” to test the specific statutory authority the president was asserting as the basis for the construction.
The preservationists sought an order putting the ballroom project on hold while the project underwent multiple independent reviews and after it won approval from Congress. Leon’s decision, however, left those arguments short at this stage and, he said, the National Trust would have a better chance by amending its complaint. Leon said he could not reach the merits of the group’s “novel and weighty statutory arguments” at this time.
Trump used his social media account to hail the ruling, saying, “Great news for America.” He said the project was ahead of schedule and under budget and added that it “will stand long into the future as a symbol to the Greatness of America.” The White House also announced that the ballroom plan was privately funded, including donations that included Trump himself.
National Trust President and CEO Carol Quillen said the group was “disappointed” that no injunction was issued, but she said she was “pleased that Judge Leon ruled that the National Trust has standing to bring this lawsuit.” Quillen also said the judge encouraged the group to amend its complaint and said the National Trust planned to do so promptly, adding that Leon indicated he would rule expeditiously after the amendment.
The White House announced the ballroom project over the summer, and by late October Trump had demolished the East Wing to make way for the ballroom he said would fit 999 people. The administration said the project would include a 90,000-square-foot (8,400-square-meter) ballroom and that donations, including from Trump, would pay for the construction.
Trump proceeded with the project before seeking input from two federal review panels: the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts. The arts panel approved the project at a meeting last week, and the planning commission is set to discuss it further at a meeting scheduled for March 5.
During a preliminary hearing in December, Leon warned the administration against making decisions on underground work—such as routing plumbing and gas lines—that would dictate the scope of future ballroom construction above ground. The preservationists argued that without court intervention, Trump could be emboldened to take further steps involving other White House areas.
In court filings, the administration argued that above-ground construction would not begin until April and that the preservationists’ challenge was premature because the building plans were not final. The administration also argued that previous White House renovation projects, large and small, did not require congressional approval.
Leon also said the White House office behind the project is not an agency covered under the jurisdiction of the Administrative Procedure Act, and he concluded that the preservationists lacked a basis to invoke the courts to block the work. After ruling against an injunction for now, Leon signaled the path forward: he said the court would consider the statutory questions after the National Trust amends its complaint.
The parties’ dispute reflects the central legal question in the case: whether the president has statutory authority to continue the project without what the preservationists say should be congressional involvement. In the meantime, the ballroom work remains a live issue through administrative review, including the planning commission’s March 5 discussion.