U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in Washington granted a preservationist group’s request for a preliminary injunction that temporarily halts President Trump’s White House ballroom project. The preservationists sued to obtain an order pausing the ballroom project until it undergoes multiple independent reviews and receives congressional approval. The White House announced the ballroom project over the summer. The White House said private donations, including from Trump, would pay for the planned construction of a 90,000-square-foot ballroom. “Many of those projects were highly controversial in their time yet have since become accepted — even beloved — parts of the White House,” government attorneys wrote.

Source: Los Angeles Times March 31, 2026 21:22 UTC