loading . . . Trump’s White House ballroom rises aboveground, but the legal battle isn’t over Historic preservationists sued to stop the project, and a federal judge ordered a halt to it. But construction on President Donald Trump’s planned White House ballroom is pressing forward, with the first portions of the structure now rising aboveground amid a continuing legal battle and a congressional fight about how to pay for it.Upgrade for 3 extra accounts to sharePremium comes with extra access for friends and family, plus more benefits.See more details For the first time, workers have built part of the structure that will be visible once the project is finished, according to two people familiar with the project, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. The recent work includes the start of the first floor, where planners intend to place a commercial-grade kitchen and a suite of offices for first ladies and their staffs, one of the people said. Photos taken in recent days show crews have erected a concrete structure topped with columns of exposed rebar, used to reinforce the pillars that will support additional floors. A federal judge’s order in March halted aboveground construction, but the order was stayed while an appeals court panel considers the case. The aboveground work marks a new phase for a project that began eight months ago with tree-clearing and excavation. Until recently, construction had been largely invisible to the public, focused on the underground infrastructure needed to support the 90,000-square-foot structure and what Trump has described as a “massive” military complex. That underground work continues to be the main focus of the project, one of the people said. In his order halting construction, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled that the project requires congressional authorization, finding that work related to national security could continue but that the ballroom itself could not. Oral arguments for the appeal are scheduled for June 5. With Leon’s order on hold, White House officials said last month that they would continue construction on the ballroom, including its aboveground components. Historic preservationists and outside architects have said that as more of the project is constructed, it will be increasingly hard to alter or undo it — barring a complete teardown. The administration has leaned hard on national security arguments to justify pressing forward. Justice Department lawyers have argued that any pause could endanger Trump, his family and White House staff, and that the planned building is designed to defend against “hostile attacks via drones, ballistic missiles, bullets, biohazards” and other potential threats. After a gunman breached a security checkpoint outside the White House correspondents’ dinner last month, DOJ lawyers asked Leon to dissolve his order, arguing the shooting demonstrated why the president needed a large event space within the security perimeter of the White House grounds. Leon has been unpersuaded, ruling twice that the administration has failed to justify its national security rationale. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, which sued in December to block the project, has been equally skeptical. “Simply put, this case does not jeopardize the President’s safety in any way,” Gregory Craig, a Foley Hoag lawyer representing the National Trust, wrote to Justice Department lawyers last month. The legal standoff has now spilled into Congress. Last week, Senate Republicans proposed $1 billion to fund new White House security measures tied to what the administration calls the “East Wing Modernization Project.” But lawmakers and the White House immediately disagreed over what the money would actually cover. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, laid out the funding package with explicit language barring its use for “non-security elements” of the project, a direct reference to Trump’s ballroom. “This bill does not fund ballroom construction,” said Clare Slattery, a Grassley spokeswoman. The White House saw it differently. Spokesman Davis Ingle said in a statement that the legislation, if enacted, would authorize and pay for the entire project, including the aboveground ballroom building. The dispute cuts against earlier White House assurances that the project would be entirely privately funded. Trump had committed to spending no public money on the ballroom, which he has said could cost $400 million and would be financed by him and other donors. Republicans said Tuesday that security measures for the project should not fall to private donors — but they stopped short of endorsing public funding for the ballroom itself. Democrats argued the proposal illustrates Republican priorities out of step with voters focused on paying for housing, health care and food. A Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll conducted last month found 56 percent of Americans oppose Trump’s decision to demolish the East Wing to make way for the project, while 28 percent support it. “It’s astonishing what’s going on,” said Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tennessee), who has criticized the ballroom alongside Trump’s other legacy projects. “He has no respect for anybody, any memory, any history. It’s all about him.” The proposed $1 billion package would be folded into the Senate’s planned budget reconciliation bill, allowing passage with a simple majority and bypassing any potential Democratic filibuster. Before it advances, the Senate parliamentarian will review whether it complies with rules limiting reconciliation to spending and revenue provisions. Rank-and-file Republicans in the Senate and House have privately raised concerns about the request, which arrives six months before the midterm elections and as Americans grow anxious about the economy and the war in Iran. Construction on the project continues regardless. Where the East Wing once stood, the first aboveground walls are rising — outpacing, for now, the legal and legislative processes meant to govern them. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/05/14/white-house-ballroom-rises-above-ground-legal-fight-funding-dispute-cloud-project/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=bluesky
