Court clears White House ballroom construction over preservation challenge

The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to allow a $400 million East Wing ballroom project at the White House to proceed, blocking lower court orders that would have halted construction. Chief Justice Roberts dissented, saying the project likely unlawful without Congress approval; the National Trust for Historic Preservation argued unilateral authority was lacking. The 90,000-square-foot ballroom and above-ground portion are slated to be substantially finished by November and fully completed by August 2028, with the preservation group deemed to lack standing to sue. The decision sustains Trump’s plan for an expanded events space as part of broader White House modernization, including a South Lawn helipad and other cityscape changes.