US appeals court blocks Trump’s US$400 million White House ballroom project

President Donald Trump holds a rendering of the proposed new East Wing of the White House as he speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One, on Mar 29, 2026. (File photo: AP/Mark Schiefelbein)

WASHINGTON: A United States federal appeals court on Friday (Aug 7) ordered US President Donald Trump’s administration to stop construction on a US$400 million ballroom on the site of the White House's demolished East Wing, dealing the Republican leader a major setback in a case testing his presidential authority.

The Washington-based US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in a divided 2-1 order upheld a preliminary injunction won by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which sued last year after the administration tore down the East Wing and began building a 8,360 sq m ballroom without seeking authorisation from Congress.

The appeals court placed its ruling on hold for 14 days to allow the Trump administration to appeal to the US Supreme Court.

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