{"id":2587326,"date":"2026-04-05T12:40:01","date_gmt":"2026-04-05T16:40:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/commission-votes-to-approve-wh-ballroom-despite-official-injunction-major-pushback\/"},"modified":"2026-04-05T12:42:55","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T16:42:55","slug":"commission-votes-to-approve-wh-ballroom-despite-official-injunction-major-pushback","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/commission-votes-to-approve-wh-ballroom-despite-official-injunction-major-pushback\/","title":{"rendered":"Commission Votes to Approve WH Ballroom Despite Official Injunction, Major Pushback"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcommission-votes-to-approve-wh-ballroom-despite-official-injunction-major-pushback%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2587326&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>An article reports that the National Capital Planning Commission approved the concept and site designs for the White House East Wing Modernization project, even as a federal judge blocked progress on the plan\u2019s ballroom by ordering officials to seek Congressional authorization first. Senior Judge Richard J. Leon indicated that the National Capital Planning Commission and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts should complete their legally required reviews and consider potential impacts on the White House campus.Despite the injunction, the NCPC voted 8-1 to approve the project\u2019s design and planning, with Commissioner mendelson voting against and Commissioners Argo and dixon present but not voting.Chair William Scharf defended the project as a long-overdue modernization worthy of national attention, while some commissioners criticized the process as rushed or not adequately justified, including concerns about the ballroom\u2019s height. After the vote, president Trump publicly celebrated the decision, claiming the project is on time and under budget and will be the greatest ballroom of its kind. The Trump administration plans to appeal the injunction and push to complete the project by 2028, while legal challenges from preservation groups continue.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>In the shadow of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jack-smith-is-appealing-the-dismissal-of-the-trump-classified-documents-case\/\" title=\"Jack Smith is appealing the dismissal of the Trump classified ...s case\">federal judge&#038;rsquo<\/a>;s Tuesday ruling blocking construction from advancing, the National Capital Planning Commission voted Thursday to approve the concept and site designs of President Donald Trump&rsquo;s White House East Wing Modernization project.<\/p>\n<p>Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia Richard J. <span class=\"termHighlighted-night\">Leon<\/span>, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/thomas-glessner-dobbs-means-the-end-of-the-beginning-in-the-abortion-wars\/\" title=\"Thomas Glessner: Dobbs Means the End of the Beginning in the Abortion Wars\">long-awaited ruling<\/a>, enjoined Trump administration officials &ldquo;from taking any action in furtherance of the physical development of the proposed ballroom at the former site of the East Wing of the White House.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>He said the administration should seek approval from Congress to proceed.<\/p>\n<p>While weighing a lawsuit by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States against the project, Leon previously signaled his intent to require the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts to conduct their legally-authorized reviews of the design and consider its potential impacts on the White House campus.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;NCPC is not a party with that lawsuit. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/federal-commission-approves-white-house-ballroom\/\" title=\"Federal ... approves ... ...\">injunction doesn&#038;rsquo<\/a>;t speak to the NCPC review process,&rdquo; Chairman William Scharf summarized as he began his report.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadAnyclip() { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst container=document.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!container) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=\"https:\/\/player.anyclip.com\/anyclip-widget\/lre-widget\/prod\/v1\/src\/lre.js\"; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"pubname\", \"westernjournalcom\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"widgetname\", \"001w000001jULVcAAO_M12924\");  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ append inside the container so player shows in correct spot \t\t\t\t\t\tcontainer.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadAnyclip(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #anyclipvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#anyclipvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;From my perspective, we have a project before us: we&rsquo;ve been asked to review it, and that&rsquo;s really our job here today &hellip; we&rsquo;ll move past that and continue our consideration of the Eastern modernization project.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Scharf began the agenda item pertaining to the ballroom with a lengthy reaction to the court order and the intensity of public interest &mdash; notably expressed through a record submission of 32,000 comments &mdash; throughout the panel&rsquo;s deliberative process.<\/p>\n<p>The Trump-appointed chairman, who also serves as the White House staff secretary, then provided an expansive and detailed history of various improvement projects throughout the life of the Executive Mansion. Scharf offered numerous examples of criticism levied at various features of the White House.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Criticism and skies-falling pronouncements from so-called historic preservationists and their allies in the press are therefore nothing new in the history of the White House,&rdquo; Scharf said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;While some might wish for history in the world to stand still, the fact of the matter is that the White House complex has constantly evolved to meet the programmatic needs of it. It is in that context in which I believe we must now review the ballroom project that is before this Commission.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This ballroom will be considered every bit as much of a national treasure as the other key components of the White House,&rdquo; he promised, &ldquo;and I believe that, in time, the nation and successive presidents of both parties of all political stripes long into the future will be grateful to President Trump for having initiated and brought this project into being.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Commissioner Phil Mendelson, the chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia, echoed previous concerns about the NCPC&rsquo;s perceived &ldquo;piecemeal&rdquo; and &ldquo;rushed&rdquo; consideration of the project.<\/p>\n<p>He also lamented he &ldquo;didn&rsquo;t get a persuasive answer&rdquo; to his objection regarding the proposed ballroom&rsquo;s height.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think there&rsquo;s a lot of value to the iterative process, and we&rsquo;ve not had that,&rdquo; Mendelson, the most critical of the commissioners, stated.<\/p>\n<p>Commissioner Linda Argo, an appointee of District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser, offered a similar complaint.<\/p>\n<p>Longtime Commissioner Arrington Dixon, another Muriel appointee, suggested the project was meritorious, regardless of which president was in office at the time. &ldquo;To the victor goes the spoils,&rdquo; he quipped.<\/p>\n<p>Commissioner Mendelson ultimately voted against the project; Commissioners Argo and Dixon voted as present. The rest of the NCPC voted in approval.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I would like to thank the hardworking Commissioners and Staff of the National Capital Planning Commission, who just voted overwhelmingly, 8-1, to approve the magnificent White House Ballroom now rising on this Hallowed Ground,&rdquo; Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/116337483523761845\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">posted<\/a> to  following the final vote.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I am pleased to announce that even Board Member Senator Rand Paul, known as an extraordinarily difficult vote, voted a strong YES. For more than 150 years, every President has dreamt about having a Ballroom at the White House to accommodate people for Grand Parties, State Visits, and even, in the Modern Day, Inaugurations. I am honored to be the first President to finally get this much-needed project, which is on time and under budget, underway. When completed, it will be the Greatest and Most Beautiful Ballroom of its kind anywhere in the World, and a fabulous complement to our Beautiful and Storied White House!&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Having swiftly appealed the judge&rsquo;s ruling, the Trump administration hopes to resolve all legal challenges to the ballroom project and maintain its projected 2028 completion before its <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >biggest advocate leaves office<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"disclaimer\">\n<p>All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/union-membership-plummets-to-record-low\/\" title=\"Union Membership Plummets to Record Low\">legitimate news publisher<\/a> that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter&rsquo;s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/mailto:licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org\">licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here\u2019s a concise paraphrase of the article\u2019s main points (excluding unrelated code and site boilerplate):<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; After a federal judge blocked progress on the White House East Wing Modernization, the National Capital Planning Commission voted to approve the project\u2019s concept and site designs. The ruling had halted construction, including the proposed ballroom at the former East Wing site, and called for congressional approval before moving forward.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Judge Richard J. Leon indicated that the administration should seek Congress\u2019s authorization to proceed. He had suggested that the NCPC and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts should complete their legally required reviews and assess the project\u2019s impacts on the White House campus. He noted that the NCPC is not a party to the lawsuit, and the injunction does not dictate the NCPC\u2019s review process.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; At the NCPC meeting, Chair William Scharf acknowledged the court order\u2019s reach but emphasized that the panel\u2019s review process stands independently of the lawsuit. Scharf reflected on the White House\u2019s history of evolution and argued that the ballroom project should be evaluated within that context, framing the ballroom as a national asset.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Some commissioners raised concerns about the review process. DC Council Chair Phil Mendelson criticized what he called a rushed, piecemeal consideration and questioned the proposed ballroom\u2019s height, while fellow commissioners Linda Argo and Arrington Dixon offered mixed or supportive views. Mendelson ultimately voted against the project, with Argo and Dixon present; the remaining members voted in favor, resulting in an 8-1 approval of the concept and site designs.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; After the vote, Trump celebrated the decision on social media, claiming that even Rand Paul voted yes and asserting the ballroom would be a grand, highly visible feature of the White House. He said the project was on time and under budget and projected completion was 2028.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The Trump administration quickly appealed the judge\u2019s ruling, hoping to resolve the disputes and maintain the planned 2028 completion date.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The article closes with the publisher\u2019s standard licensing note about Daily Caller News Foundation content<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2587327,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_7478.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[3734,6649,5894,9732,77194],"class_list":["post-2587326","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-commission","tag-injunction","tag-politics","tag-pushback","tag-white-house-ballroom-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_7478.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2587326","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2587326"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2587326\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2587330,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2587326\/revisions\/2587330"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2587327"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2587326"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2587326"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2587326"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}