Trump asks Supreme Court to keep White House ballroom construction alive

President Donald Trump has filed an emergency petition with the Supreme Court to allow the construction of a $400 million ballroom inside the White House to continue while the administration appeals a stop‑work order issued by an appeals court. The request was filed after the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which sued the administration over the project, secured a ruling that halted construction until Congress approved the plan.

In the filing, Solicitor General D John Sauer described the order as "dangerous" and argued that halting work would amount to a de facto “construction‑by‑injunction.” He also said that the President’s argument that the ballroom is needed for large events and national security – including bomb shelters and a medical treatment centre – remains valid. Sauer further claimed that the project is funded entirely by private corporate donations, so congressional approval is not required.

The appeals court decision does not take immediate effect – it will take hold on 21 August – but the Supreme Court’s emergency application will decide whether construction can resume before that date. If the Court declines, work will stop and the $400 million project will stall.

The ballroom project is part of a broader Trump initiative to reshape Washington’s historic landmarks, including renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and a planned “Arc de Trump” similar to Paris’s Arc de Triomphe. Critics argue that the administration has repeatedly bypassed required review and public‑comment processes, a claim that the President denies.

The outcome of this legal battle could set precedent for future federal construction projects that involve historic sites.