BREAKING: Federal Judge Orders Trump Administration to Halt Construction on Privately Funded White House Ballroom U.S. District Judge Richard Leon has issued a preliminary injunction halting the construction of a privately funded ballroom at the White House. The judge ruled that Congress must approve the project, which was initiated by the Trump administration. The project, planned to be completed by September 2025, aimed to provide a larger event space than the current East Room and was funded by President Trump and other donors.

• A federal judge has temporarily halted construction of a privately funded White House ballroom project.
• US District Judge Richard Leon ordered the halt, stating Congress must approve the construction.
• The project, announced last summer, aimed to create a 90,000-square-foot ballroom with a capacity of 650 people.
• The ballroom was intended to replace the East Wing and was designed by McCrery Architects.
• Construction was expected to begin in September 2025 and be funded by President Trump and other donors.
• The White House cited the need for a larger event space to host major functions, as the current East Room has a capacity of only 200.