A historic preservation group has formally requested that the U.S. Supreme Court intervene to suspend construction of a $400 million ballroom at the White House. The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed its petition on Tuesday, seeking to halt the project while the high court evaluates whether the massive renovation can legally proceed.
This legal filing follows an application from the Trump administration last week, which asked the justices to allow work to continue on the 90,000-square-foot facility during the ongoing appeals process. The project, which has been underway for 10 months, is currently estimated to be approximately 65% complete.
Attorneys for the preservation trust argued that the administration is attempting to “outrun judicial review” rather than seeking necessary congressional authorization. They emphasized that the administration “cannot identify any statute granting them ‘express authority’ to destroy a third of the White House and replace it with a massive, privately funded ballroom, because none exists.”
The construction project involves the demolition of the White House East Wing and is part of a broader initiative to reshape the capital. While the administration maintains that the work includes an essential underground military facility required for presidential protection, the trust contends that the lower court’s existing injunction is already “narrowly tailored” to permit security-related construction while pausing the ballroom development.
The current legal dispute follows a decision by a divided appeals court panel that upheld an order to stop aboveground construction. That ruling affirmed an earlier decision by U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, who noted that no existing statute provides the president with the authority claimed for such a project. The administration has countered by arguing that the president holds unimpeded power to renovate the White House and has further challenged the legal standing of the National Trust to bring the lawsuit.
Solicitor General D. John Sauer, representing the administration, urged the Supreme Court to issue a ruling on the stay petition before the appeals court’s decision takes effect this Friday. Sauer described the lower court’s injunction as “extraordinary and unlawful,” asserting that the integrated military complex and the ballroom space are vital to national security.
Chief Justice John Roberts had previously established a Tuesday deadline for the trust to submit its written response to the administration’s request. As the case moves forward, the administration continues to emphasize that the current state of the site, which remains an open construction zone, complicates efforts to maintain the security of the White House complex. The report also notes that the building of the 90,000-square-foot (8,400-square-meter) ballroom has included demolishing the East Wing of the White House and is part of Trump’s plans to quickly remake Washington. The report also notes that leon wrote that “no statute comes close to giving the President the authority he claims to have.”. The report also notes that the administration says the work is roughly 65% finished. The report also notes that the ruling was suspended to let the administration appeal.
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