Trump White House Ballroom Construction
President Trump demolished the White House East Wing in October 2025 to build a 90,000-square-foot grand ballroom, estimated at $400 million and funded by private donors. The project has faced repeated legal challenges: a federal judge halted construction on March 31, 2026, ruling Trump needs congressional authorization; the National Capital Planning Commission approved the design 8-1 on April 2; an appeals court allowed work to continue on April 11; but on April 16, Judge Richard Leon again blocked above-ground construction, ruling "national security is not a blank check to proceed with otherwise unlawful activity" and rejecting the administration's argument that the ballroom was inseparable from underground security facilities. Trump called Leon a "Trump Hating" judge and the administration is expected to seek Supreme Court review.
“We are living in the Golden Age of America, and this Building will be one of the Greatest ever constructed in Washington, D.C.”