{"id":2642008,"date":"2026-08-07T19:20:01","date_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:20:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/federal-appeals-court-orders-trump-to-halt-ballroom-construction-rules-project-is-for-congress-to-decide\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T19:23:21","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:23:21","slug":"federal-appeals-court-orders-trump-to-halt-ballroom-construction-rules-project-is-for-congress-to-decide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/federal-appeals-court-orders-trump-to-halt-ballroom-construction-rules-project-is-for-congress-to-decide\/","title":{"rendered":"Federal Appeals Court Orders Trump to Halt Ballroom Construction, Rules Project Is &#8216;For Congress to Decide&#8217;"},"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\">32<\/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%2Ffederal-appeals-court-orders-trump-to-halt-ballroom-construction-rules-project-is-for-congress-to-decide%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=2642008&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>A U.S. Court of Appeals panel has upheld a lower court decision blocking president Donald Trump from proceeding with the construction of a large ballroom at the White House. Trump had initiated the project, funded privately, which includes building a 90,000-square-foot ballroom and a secure bunker beneath it. The court ruled that construction requires congressional approval, citing the Constitution\u2019s Property Clause and previous laws restricting building on federal property without explicit Congress authorization. Judge Patricia Millett and Judge bradley Garcia emphasized that the decision focuses on legal requirements, not the project&#8217;s desirability, and noted the law\u2019s provisions dating back to 1912. In dissent, Judge Neomi Rao argued that the lawsuit lacked standing and that presidential improvements are within executive authority. The court temporarily stayed its ruling to allow Trump&#8217;s management to appeal to the supreme court, which Trump plans to do, asserting that the decision is unjust and politically motivated. Meanwhile, other official bodies have approved the plans, and Trump highlighted the project&#8217;s extensive security features, including bomb shelters and military-grade facilities.  <\/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\"><br \/>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?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\" ?><html><body><\/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>A three-judge D.C. Court of Appeals panel on Friday upheld a lower court ruling blocking President Donald Trump from going forward with constructing a ballroom at the White House.<\/p>\n<p>Last fall, Trump directed the construction of a 90,000-square-foot ballroom on the east side of the White House with $400 million in private donations. Underneath it, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/trump-reveals-new-white-house-ballroom-will-massive-hidden-military-purpose\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a new bunker<\/a> is also being constructed by the Department of War with enhanced security measures.<\/p>\n<p>In a <a href=\"https:\/\/aboutblaw.com\/bmvs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2-1 ruling<\/a>, Judges Patricia Millett, an Obama appointee, and Bradley Garcia, a Biden appointee, wrote in their majority opinion, \u201cWhether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis holding has nothing at all to do with whether the proposed ballroom is desirable, or not, as a matter of policy. This ruling does not even necessarily mean that the Defendants may not ultimately construct the ballroom,\u201d the judges continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat it does mean is that the Defendants may not do so during the district court\u2019s expeditious litigation without securing Congress\u2019s authorization, as the Constitution and laws require,\u201d Millett and Garcia said.<\/p>\n<p>The judges pointed to the Constitution\u2019s Property Clause, which they said \u201cvests Congress with plenary control over all real property that belongs to the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn 1912, Congress placed a statutory exclamation point on its exclusive powers by providing that \u201cthere shall not be erected on any reservation, park, or public grounds[] of the United States within the District of Columbia, any building or structure without express authority of Congress,\u201d the judges wrote.<\/p>\n<p>However, Judge Neomi Rao, a Trump appointee, held a different view in her dissent to Friday\u2019s ruling.<\/p>\n<p>She first contended that the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/new-white-house-ballroom-change-presidents-plans-event-national-emergency\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Trust for Historic Preservation<\/a>, which filed the suit, had no standing to bring it, and that the federal district court had no authority to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/alert-judge-rules-trump-cant-build-ballroom-even-private-donations-without-outside-approval\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">issue an injunction<\/a> in March stopping its construction.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis was a blatant abuse of discretion. To begin with, the district court had no jurisdiction because the Trust has no standing to stop construction at the White House. The ballroom is also likely within the President\u2019s authority to make improvements to the Executive Residence at the White House,\u201d Rao wrote.<\/p>\n<p>Past presidents <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/alert-judge-rules-trump-cant-build-ballroom-even-private-donations-without-outside-approval\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">have done so<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe balance of equities overwhelmingly favors the government. The district court elevated the aesthetic displeasure of a single passerby over the government\u2019s security interests in the ballroom and the security risks of leaving an open construction site at the President\u2019s home and office,\u201d Rao said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe district court seized supervision of construction at the White House, and my colleagues affirm this judicial overreach\u2026 Because the injunction is beyond the proper province of the federal courts, construction should be allowed to continue,\u201d the judge concluded.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-ballroom-court-ruling-1528247275ec6103da892d271d4ee883\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Associated Press<\/a> reported that the D.C. Circuit Court put a two-week stay on its order to halt construction in order to give the Trump administration time to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court, which the president said he plans to do.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe will be immediately appealing to the United States Supreme Court. The Military and Secret Service are viewing this horrendous, politically motivated, and unlawful ruling as a National Security threat to our Nation in that the entire Complex is being built for the protection of our Country and, additionally, all future Presidents,\u201d Trump posted on <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/117055247374455490\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a>.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"zxx\"><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ZCTpvHN3qV\">pic.twitter.com\/ZCTpvHN3qV<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RapidResponse47\/status\/2085781768725016979?\">August 7, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe single, integrated project includes Bomb Shelters, State of the Art Hospital and Medical Facilities, Protective Partitioning, Top Secret Military Facilities, Structures and Equipment, Protective Missile Resistant Steel, Columns, Roofs, and Beams, Drone Proof Ceilings and Roofs, Military Grade Venting, and Bullet, Ballistic, and Blast Proof Glass,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>Trump ended, \u201cThis unjust decision must be overturned by the Supreme Court in its entirety.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Both the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts and the 12-member National Capital Planning Commission have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/commission-votes-approve-wh-ballroom-despite-official-injunction-major-pushback\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">approved<\/a> the ballroom plans.<\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #171717; display: flex;font-size: 16px;font-weight: 600;line-height: 1.5;margin: 24px 0;padding: 18px 20px 18px 30px;text-align: left;\">\n<div style=\"align-self: stretch;border-left: 3px solid #171717;flex-shrink: 0;padding-left: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/\">Choose The Western Journal as your preferred source on Google and never miss reporting that defends truth, protects freedom, and advances Western civilization<\/a><\/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<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> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t<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><\/body><\/html><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A three-judge D.C. Court of Appeals panel on Friday upheld a lower court ruling blocking President Trump from building a White House ballroom. Last fall, Trump ordered the construction of a 90,000-square-foot ballroom on the east side using $400 million in private funds<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2642009,"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\/08\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2026-08-07T164538.637.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[65616,83855,32712,32546,3634],"class_list":["post-2642008","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-ballroom-construction","tag-congressional-authority","tag-federal-courts","tag-legal-decision","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2026-08-07T164538.637.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2642008","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=2642008"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2642008\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2642011,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2642008\/revisions\/2642011"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2642009"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2642008"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2642008"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2642008"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}