Federal judge orders Trump pause construction on White House ballroom

[In It to Win It]

A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to pause construction on its White House ballroom absent “express authorization from Congress” on Tuesday, throwing the $400 million project’s future into question.

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, a George W. Bush appointee, wrote that “no statute comes close to giving the President the authority he claims to have,” granting the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s request for a preliminary injunction blocking further work on the project.

“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!” Leon wrote in his opinion.

The order will go into effect in 14 days, which gives the Trump administration time to appeal.

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/31/trump-white-house-ballroom-lawsuit-order-00852455

[bif]

1. Dupe

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100221137447

[MineralMan]

4. It Bears Repeating!

[Dave Bowman]

2. That stupid ballroom is pure vandalism. 😡

[MineralMan]

3. HaHa!

[dweller]

5. "express authorization from Congress"

Will any Dem vote for it ?

I can think of 1

😐



✌🏻

[Goonch]

6. ;-{) Bunkered

[calimary]

7. YAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!

The Ballroom of the Vanities has been stopped. PERMANENTLY, I hope!!!

EXCELLENT!!!

[GiqueCee]

13. And it would be...

... SOOO cool if he was ordered to rebuild the East Wing on his own dime!

[calimary]

22. He'd still try to weasel around it by shoving it off to us taxpayers.

[GiqueCee]

23. Oh so true...

... but now that his modus operandi is well-known, I'll bet a determined lawyer like Jack Smith could wring it out of him. There are fewer and fewer attorneys of any note that are willing to work with Trump, so he'd have to scour the swamp for bottom-feeders that Smith would dismember in less time than it takes to say it.
Republicans are seeing the writing on the wall, and fleeing the SS Trumptanic like the rats they are, and lawyering up just in case they were playing a little too close to the edge of legality.
Popcorn, anyone?

[calimary]

24. Hey GiqueCee, "the SS Trumptanic" - did you think that up?

It’s a WAAAAAY GOOD one! Boy does that fit! TREMENDOUSLY brilliant!

[GiqueCee]

26. Thank you!

It was an original thought this morning, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's popped up in someone else's brainpan as well. It's a verbal conglomeration that begged to be given voice!

[calimary]

27. It's "Almond Joy" stuff for sure.

“Indescribably delicious!”

[pat_k]

8. Oh please, please, let this one hold!!!

The public hates the ballroom. If this holds on appeal, I don't see it happening. I'm not even sure a majority of Republicans would vote for authorization, much less the 60 needed in the Senate:

Gift link

Thousands of public comments slam Trump’s ballroom: ‘I did not vote for this’

A Post analysis of submitted comments found more than 97 percent were critical of the planned 90,000-square-foot addition. The White House has defended it as necessary.

https://wapo.st/4m0wXuZ

[COL Mustard]

9. WARNING!!! WARNING!!! WARNING!!!

The White House grounds are at KETCHUPCON 5. Anything higher means the Soviets have invaded!

This is not a drill!

[LetMyPeopleVote]

18. The ketchup alert status has been raised to KETCHCON 1!

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[COL Mustard]

20. I LOVE that!

I may have to steal it.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

21. You are welcome to use this

Have fun

[twodogsbarking]

10. A tenant. One that tears down your house.

[COL Mustard]

11. I'm not laughing!

You’re laughing!!!

So much whining…er, winning.

[Katinfl]

12. The damage is done. It cannot be put back together like it was. He destroys everything he touches.

[slumcamper]

14. Inconsequential. Authoritarian regimes ignore conventional institutional constraints. Solution: REVOLUTION. n/t

[Trueblue1968]

15. It will cease to be it he is gone. As in dead.

[orangecrush]

16. Kind of late

[LetMyPeopleVote]

17. Judge halts construction on Trump's White House ballroom

The planned $400 million project has been a priority for the president.

Link to tweet

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/03/31/judge-trump-white-house-ballroom

A federal judge ordered a halt to construction of President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom, ruling that Trump lacks authority to fund the estimated $400 million project through private donations.

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon disagreed with the Trump administration’s argument that the president has broad authority to make changes to the White House, including on the scale of his planned, 90,000-square-foot ballroom.

“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!” Leon wrote in a 35-page ruling issued Tuesday afternoon. He said that “no statute comes close to giving the President the authority he claims to have.”....

Lawyers for the National Trust, which is charged by Congress with preserving historic buildings, also focused on Trump’s decision to solicit private donations, saying that the project needed express authorization by Congress.

“Rather than admit that none exists, the Defendants invent a Rube Goldberg machine” to justify proceeding with the project without express congressional approval, the National Trust’s lawyers argued in court filings in January.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

19. This ruling made me smile-Judge Richard Leon drops at least 18 of his trademark exclamation points

This is not something that was covered in law school back in my day.

Link to tweet

"After all, the White House does not belong to any one man - not even a president!"

Judge Richard Leon drops at least 18 of his trademark exclamation points in ordering a stop to construction on Trump's White House ballroom (delays enforcement for 14 days so DOJ can appeal)
https://buff.ly/WG6ktOX

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[calimary]

25. And if Dems get the House back in November, they're not gonna give him much of anything.

At least they BETTER NOT give him anything.

Not even the time of day.