Supreme Court chief justice allows construction on White House ballroom to continue
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts is allowing the White House to continue construction on President Donald Trump's East Wing ballroom project.
Roberts on Friday issued an administrative stay of a lower court order set to take effect later in the day halting most above-ground construction on the White House ballroom project, which officials have estimated will cost $400 million.
The two-sentence order -- which is intended to be brief and temporary -- does not take a position on Trump's appeal of the injunction or explain why the high court needs more time to render a formal decision.
The effective impact of the move means construction can continue unabated on the White House project, which the administration has described as a "military complex" that is 65% complete.
Federal law gives Congress control over federal property, including the White House grounds, but has also long allowed presidents to undertake the "care, maintenance, repair, alteration, refurbishment, and improvement ... of the Executive Residence."
President Trump unilaterally initiated demolition of the White House East Wing in late 2025 to make way for the ballroom.
A lower court had ruled that Trump exceeded his authority in demolishing the East Wing and beginning to erect the 90,000-square-foot structure without congressional approval. A divided appeals court earlier this month affirmed that finding.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, which brought the suit, insists the president has to be held accountable to following federal law when it comes to federal property. The administration has argued upgrades to the White House are his prerogative, unreviewable by a judge when involving matters of national security.
Earlier this week, Trump was asked by a reporter what he would do if the Supreme Court decided to rule against him in the case concerning the ballroom construction.
"Well, we hope that doesn't happen. I can't imagine it happening," the president responded.
Trump also made the argument that the ballroom was not merely an addition to the building, but a critical military site essential to national security. The Presidential Emergency Operations Center (PEOC) has been located under the East Wing of the White House since the 1940s.
"You know, that started off as a ballroom. And before we started work, the military came to see me. And they say, 'Sir, we have an opportunity to do something incredible here. And we've been trying to do it for 100 years, but we've never had an opportunity like that,'” Trump said.
