A federal judge has blocked Donald Trump‘s plan to build a ballroom at the White House. A Republican strategist later argued that the judge got it wrong on live television, but was corrected by CNN host Abby Phillip instead.
On Tuesday, District Court Judge Richard Leon ordered that the construction of Trump’s proposed $400 million White House ballroom be halted. The 90,000-square-foot structure would replace the now-demolished East Wing. Leon said no law “comes close” to giving the president legal authority to build on federal grounds without Congress signing off first. The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed the lawsuit in December 2025 and argued it was likely to win the case.
The judge wrote: “The President of the United States is the steward of the White House for future generations of First Families. He is not, however, the owner.”
BREAKING: A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to halt construction of a $400M White House ballroom, ruling the project cannot move forward unless Congress approves it. pic.twitter.com/P5fkdx7LCT
— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) March 31, 2026
As a result, Trump called the National Trust “a Radical Left Group of Lunatics” on social media. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, the president said that the ballroom would be “drone-proof,” bulletproof, stocked with biodefense systems, bomb shelters, and “major medical facilities.” The administration thus filed an appeal with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals after the ruling.
But on CNN’s NewsNight, Phillip was moderating a panel that included Joe Borelli, former Republican leader of New York City’s City Council. There, Borelli argued that Trump wasn’t asking Congress to approve spending and that he’s using private donations. Trump has said that he raised over $350 million from tech, crypto, and defense corporations for the project.
But that’s not what the ruling is about, as Phillip read out the relevant federal statute: 40 U.S.C. § 8106:
“A building or a structure shall not be erected on any reservation, park, or public ground of the federal government in the District of Columbia without the express authority of Congress. It doesn’t say anything about funding. It says you cannot build without Congress permitting it. It has nothing to do with the money. It’s a separation of powers issue.”
CNN’s Abby Phillip: *Goes on a RAGE filled rant against President Trump*
Scott Jennings: “Are you guys really that mad about the [White House] Ballroom? I mean, honestly. There’s a giant hole in the ground now. What are we going to do? Just leave it there. When you get the… pic.twitter.com/wCzClYfSfq
— RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) March 31, 2026
Judge Leon, on the other hand, is a George W. Bush appointee who had twice declined to block the project. But after his latest ruling, the National Trust’s president praised it as “a win for the American people.” Meanwhile, Attorney General Pam Bondi is listed as an ex officio trustee of the National Trust, which is the very organization now suing the administration she’s defending.
The Trump administration has 14 days before the injunction fully kicks in.
