President Donald Trump’s administration has asked the Supreme Court to allow construction of his $400 million White House ballroom to continue.
Trump Takes White House Ballroom Fight to Supreme Court
On Thursday, the administration filed an emergency request, a week after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld an order blocking further above-ground construction.
The injunction is scheduled to take effect Aug. 21.
The legal fight centers on Trump’s decision to demolish the White House’s East Wing last year to make way for the planned 90,000-square-foot ballroom.
White House Ballroom Called National Security Project
U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer argued that stopping construction could threaten the safety of Trump, his family, White House staff and foreign dignitaries.
"This case involves an extraordinary and unlawful injunction that will halt the ongoing construction of the integrated military complex, including a totally secure ballroom space, at the East Wing of the White House, which is vitally required by national security," Sauer wrote in the filing.
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National Trust Pushes Back
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, which sued over the project, urged the Supreme Court to reject the administration’s request.
In a statement on Friday, the group accused the administration of trying to "evade the rule of law" and frustrate judicial review.
"The Supreme Court should deny the Administration’s demand that it be allowed to continue Ballroom construction while it appeals," the statement read.
Trump’s White House Ballroom Comes With Taxpayer Cost
The White House ballroom is now estimated to cost about $600 million, with roughly half of the funding expected to come from taxpayers, according to The Washington Post.
That figure has climbed significantly from the administration’s initial $200 million estimate, which was expected to be funded by private donors.
The projected cost was later revised to $400 million before rising again to $600 million.
However, in the filing, Sauer wrote that the project is on schedule and under budget, with approximately $400 million in private donations from Trump and "some of the most prominent and successful corporations and people in America."
He added that no taxpayer dollars are needed or required for the project.
Trump Calls White House Ballroom a National Security Project
Last week, Trump took to Truth Social and characterized the planned facility as a "military center" equipped with bomb shelters, medical facilities and defenses against drones and missiles.
"This unjust decision must be overturned by the Supreme Court in its entirety," Trump wrote at the time, describing the ruling as "horrendous."
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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