A federal appeals court on Saturday let construction tied to President Trump’s $400-million White House ballroom continue for now, but ordered a federal judge to reconsider whether halting the project could threaten security at the White House. The three-judge panel extended a pause on enforcement of the trial court order for three days, to April 17, giving the administration time to ask the Supreme Court to step in.
The panel said it did not have enough information to decide how much of the work could be stopped without endangering the safety of the president, his family or White House staff. It pointed to the question of "whether and to what extent" the ballroom project can be suspended, and said the lower court must take another look at the possible national security implications.
The ruling is the latest turn in a fight over whether Trump can build the ballroom without congressional approval. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon said in a March 31 ruling that work could not proceed without that approval, though he exempted any construction needed to keep the White House safe and secure. Leon also found the lawsuit was likely to succeed, saying "no statute comes close to giving the President the authority he claims to have."
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The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued in December, a week after the White House finished demolishing the East Wing for a 90,000-square-foot ballroom. Trump said the new space would fit 999 people, and the administration said aboveground construction would begin in April. That made the case more than a preservation fight. It became a question of how far the White House can go before Congress is asked to sign off.
Government lawyers have argued that the project includes critical security features to protect against drones, ballistic missiles and biohazards, and said the work would imperil "the President and others who live and work in the White House." In its appeal, the Republican administration said the project includes bomb shelters, military installations and a medical facility underneath the ballroom. The White House has said that work below ground is "distinct from construction of the ballroom itself and could proceed independently." But the appeals panel said the White House now appears to suggest those security upgrades are inseparable from the project as a whole.
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Carol Quillen, the head of the preservation group, framed the fight as a test of stewardship after the East Wing demolition. She said the case is about "honoring the historic significance of the White House, advocating for our collective role as stewards, and demonstrating how broad consultation, including with the American people, results in a better overall outcome." Leon put it more starkly in his earlier ruling: "The President of the United States is the steward of the White House for future generations of First Families." For now, the ballroom fight is headed toward a higher court while the judges below are told to sort out what can be stopped, and what cannot, before April 17.
