Court blocks White House ballroom project without Congress approval

A federal judge (Richard Leon) halted further above-ground construction on the White House East Wing ballroom, a roughly $400 million project, ruling that Trump lacked congressional authorization under federal law. He postponed enforcement for two weeks to allow any appeal and warned that continued construction without Congress’ approval could be dismantled. The case, brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, emphasizes Congress’s oversight over the build and leaves open whether funding or a different authorization path could proceed.