Appeals Court Freezes Trump’s $400 Million East Wing Ballroom as Supreme Court Fight Looms
Updated
Updated · CNN · Aug 7
Appeals Court Freezes Trump’s $400 Million East Wing Ballroom as Supreme Court Fight Looms
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Aug 7
Summary
A divided federal appeals court said Trump’s East Wing ballroom was likely built unlawfully and ordered above-ground work stopped, but stayed that order for two weeks to let him seek immediate Supreme Court relief.
Judges said the administration bypassed Congress and broke ground before required reviews, making the legal problem about process rather than the 90,000-square-foot ballroom itself or the East Wing demolition.
Construction is already deep into the site: the East Wing was razed in October 2025, a large excavation was later partly filled for an underground bunker complex, and concrete walls and floors for parts of the new structure are up.
The ruling still allows work to protect or continue the below-ground bunker, which Trump has recast as a national-security necessity even as experts say the site could be redesigned without finishing the ballroom.
The project’s cost has climbed from about $200 million to estimates of $600 million, with a recent CNN poll finding 58% of Americans dissatisfied or angry about Trump’s Washington construction push.