What's Trump's White House ballroom? What to know as project stalled.
What's Trump's White House ballroom? What to know as project stalled.
Michelle Del Rey and Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA TODAYWed, April 1, 2026 at 5:38 PM UTC
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While aboard Air Force One on Sunday, March 29, President Donald Trump showed off his designs for a $400 million White House ballroom; however, a federal judge's recent decision now puts those pricey renovations in jeopardy.
Two days after Trump showcased the ballroom designs, on Tuesday, March 31, a federal judge struck down his plans by issuing a stop order on the project, which says no work can proceed "absent express authorization from Congress," according to previous USA TODAY reporting.
This means parts of the White House will remain a demolition site, at least for now. The East Wing was torn down in October.
Here's everything to know about the stalled construction.
1 / 0Under construction: These major renovation projects forever changed the White HouseConstruction in the Rose Garden of the White House is seen after President Donald Trump boards Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on June 20, 2025 in Washington, DC.What is the new White House ballroom?
Trump's ballroom dream dates back to President Barack Obama's second term. In 2016, he offered to spend $100 million on a new White House ballrom, but the offer was rejected, according to previous USA TODAY reporting.
The funds for the 90,000-square-foot project are being donated by the president himself and by some American corporations, including Palantir, Lockheed Martin and Meta.
“President Trump, and other patriot donors, have generously committed to donating the funds necessary," the White House said in July about the renovations.
While estimates for the grand space's seating capacity have fluctuated between 650 and 1,000, Trump said during a dinner in October that the new ballroom would accommodate up to 999 guests.
"We're going to build a room that's going to be able to hold literally the inauguration if we want,” Trump said.
Additionally, the military is building a "massive" complex under the ballroom, details of which were revealed through legal proceedings. Trump told reporters over the weekend that the military aspect of the project was meant to remain secret, according to previous USA TODAY reporting.
The White House is federally owned by the American people and managed by the National Park Service.
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Ongoing legal battle
Despite the court's willingness to have the project approved by Congress, the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 exempts the White House, the Supreme Court building and the U.S. Capitol from formal reviews.
Still, the National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit against the president and several federal agencies in December, asking a judge to halt the construction, according to previous USA TODAY reporting. The preservation group argued Trump should've sought Congress's authorization before the demolition of the East Wing.
The order goes into effect on April 14, 14 days after it was issued. After 21 days, the White House will have to file a report with the court detailing its compliance with the order.
More: Trump's White House ballroom blocked by judge
The legal battle could wind up in the Supreme Court if additional appeals are filed, and in a previous statement to USA TODAY, the White House said it plans to do just that.
"President Trump clearly has the legal authority to modernize, renovate, and beautify the White House – just like all of his predecessors did. We will immediately appeal this egregious decision and are confident we will prevail," White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said.
Meanwhile, Carol Quillen, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said she was "pleased" with the decision in a written statement.
“We are pleased with Judge Leon’s ruling today to order a halt to any further ballroom construction until the Administration complies with the law and obtains express authorization to go forward," Quillen's statement reads. "This is a win for the American people on a project that forever impacts one of the most beloved and iconic places in our nation.”
Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at mderley@usatoday.com.
Contributing: Bart Jansen
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What to know about Trump's White House ballroom as project is stalled
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