Politics & Policy

Judge blocks above-ground construction of White House ballroom

InfoVera Team April 16, 2026 1 minute read

The demolition of the East Wing of the White House during construction of U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed ballroom is seen from the reopened Washington Monument, following the longest shutdown of the government in Washington, D.C., U.S., Nov. 15, 2025.

Jessica Koscielniak | Reuters

A federal judge in a revised order on Thursday blocked the Trump administration from doing construction work above-ground on the controversial proposed White House ballroom.

But Judge Richard Leon’s order allows the administration to continue below-ground construction, including work related to national security facilities.

Leon is also allowing above-ground construction “that is strictly necessary to cover, secure, and protect such national security facilities,” as long as that construction does not “lock in the above-ground size and scale of the ballroom.”