Nonprofit pushes SCOTUS to keep Trump’s ballroom on pause

The National Trust for Historic Preservation urged the Supreme Court to keep a lower-court pause on construction of Trump's 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom, arguing the president needed congressional approval he never sought. Trump demolished the East Wing last year to build the structure, initially pitched as a fix for the tent used at state events.

The administration argues a stay is needed for the president's safety and continuity of government, citing an underground military bunker being built alongside the ballroom that a lower court already exempted from the pause. The National Trust says that carve-out proves there's no urgency to rush the ballroom itself, which won't be usable for years regardless.

The project's price has climbed from an initial $200 million estimate to $400 million by Trump's own count, with Washington Post reporting putting the true cost near $600 million and taxpayers covering over half despite White House claims of zero public funding. Total White House-area construction, including a helipad and other upgrades, could exceed $900 million.

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