Judge Blocks Trump's $400M White House Ballroom Plan

Ruling halts former president's proposal to build luxury event space on site of demolished East Wing.

Mar. 31, 2026 at 9:40pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A serene, photorealistic painting of the demolished East Wing of the White House, with the remaining structure cast in warm, golden light and deep shadows, conveying a sense of melancholy and the weight of history.The judge's decision to halt former President Trump's plan to build a lavish new ballroom on the White House grounds underscores the legal constraints on altering the historic property.Washington Today

A federal judge has blocked former President Donald Trump from moving forward with a $400 million plan to construct a lavish ballroom on the grounds of the White House, ruling that Trump lacks the legal authority to undertake such a project on the historic property.

Why it matters

The judge's decision is a significant setback for Trump, who has sought to maintain a high public profile since leaving office and had hoped to leave his mark on the White House complex with the construction of a new ballroom. The ruling also underscores the legal constraints on a president's ability to unilaterally make major changes to the White House grounds.

The details

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in Washington, D.C. granted a request from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to halt Trump's ballroom project. In his ruling, Judge Leon stated that "no statute comes close to giving the president the authority he claims to have" to demolish the East Wing and build the new $400 million event space.

  • The judge issued his ruling on March 31, 2026.

The players

Donald Trump

The former president who proposed the $400 million ballroom project on White House grounds.

Richard Leon

The U.S. District Judge who blocked Trump's ballroom plan, ruling the former president lacked legal authority for the project.

National Trust for Historic Preservation

A nonprofit organization that filed the successful legal challenge to halt Trump's ballroom proposal, arguing it would damage the historic White House property.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“I have concluded that the National Trust is likely to succeed on the merits because no statute comes close to giving the president the authority he claims to have.”

— Richard Leon, U.S. District Judge

What’s next

The judge's ruling effectively blocks Trump from moving forward with the ballroom project, but the former president could potentially appeal the decision.

The takeaway

This case highlights the legal limits on a president's ability to unilaterally make major changes to the White House complex, even after leaving office. It also underscores the role of nonprofit organizations in protecting historic sites from potentially damaging development proposals.