A US judge has halted the construction of Donald Trump’s $400m White House ballroom. The US president demolished the historic East Wing of the White House last year to make way for the project. The decision by Leon, an appointee of George W Bush, leaves the 90,000-sq-ft ballroom project on hold unless it receives approval from Congress. Earlier this month, Leon had signaled his skepticism about the administration’s argument that the ballroom was an allowed “alteration” to White House grounds. White House lawyers have argued that the president did not need congressional approval for the project.

Source: The Guardian March 31, 2026 20:46 UTC