Emergency court petition seeks to keep White House ballroom work going
On Friday, the US Solicitor General filed an emergency application to the Supreme Court asking it to allow President Donald Trump to continue building a $400 million ballroom at the White House, despite a recent appellate court ruling that ordered the construction to stop until Congress gives its approval.
The appeals court’s decision, which is based on a lawsuit filed last year by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, will not be enforced until 21 August. Until that date the administration may keep work going, but if the Supreme Court denies the petition the construction would have to cease.
In the filing, the Solicitor General described the temporary stop‑work order as “dangerous,” saying it would amount to “construction‑by‑injunction” and that forcing the President to come before Congress would give “dangerous leverage” to the legislature. The administration argues that the ballroom—planned to host large events and include bomb shelters and medical facilities—provides an essential security upgrade, and is funded entirely by private donations, so congressional approval is not required.
Construction is reported to be roughly 65 % complete. If the injunction takes effect on 21 August, that would mean the White House would have to halt the project entirely, a move the administration believes is unfair and impractical.
The ballroom project is part of a broader set of renovations the Trump administration has pursued, including the refurbishing of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and a proposed “Arc de Trump” inspired by Paris’s Arc de Triomphe. Critics claim these projects consistently sidestep required review and public‑comment processes, a stance the administration denies.
