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Late last week, a federal appeals court upheld a lower court’s finding that halted construction of President Donald Trump’s ballroom at the former site of the East Wing of the White House.
The Friday ruling means that construction will remain paused, for now, pending the outcome of the case. Trump may appeal the ruling, which would likely send it to the Supreme Court to decide.
The lawsuit to prevent the construction of the ballroom (after the East Wing was torn down) was brought forward by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit organization created by Congress that advises on the rehabilitation of “important historic places.” Brent Leggs, the president of that organization, described the ruling as “a great day for our country and for the American people’s right to voice their opinions about the historic places they cherish, including the White House.”
Hours after the ruling was made, Trump complained on his Truth Social website about the outcome, alleging that it was politically motivated and railing against judges appointed by former presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, as is his typical fashion when he loses high-profile judgments. He also maintained that the construction of the ballroom is important for national security purposes, including a “major DronePort on the roof” he plans to have built.
However, the majority opinion noted that “Each President is a temporary tenant, not the owner, of the White House and its Executive Residence.” He also did not show “that Congress delegated that authority to either the President or the National Park Service” to rebuild the East Wing to his liking, the ruling stated.
“[Trump] has no — and claims no — constitutionally assigned authority over that property, which is designed and maintained for the use of all Presidents, current and future, and for the American people,” the ruling noted.
The president rejected that conclusion. “We are not tenants, who pay rent and do all other things that a tenant must do, we are PRESIDENTS,” he wrote.
He did not cite any legal authority in his post to back his claim.
Despite Trump’s sentiments, polling demonstrates that Americans largely oppose the construction of a new, extravagant ballroom.
According to a Washington Post/Ipsos poll published in July, just 32 percent of Americans said they were enthusiastic about new renovation and building projects in Washington D.C., including the ballroom, while 65 percent said they viewed these projects negatively.
An Economist/YouGov poll published in late May had similar findings. Per that survey, only 24 percent of Americans said they supported the construction of the ballroom, while 58 percent said they were opposed. Another 17 percent said they were unsure about how they felt about the project.
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