De-escalation: Judge Leon orders halt to White House ballroom construction

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ordered construction of President Trump’s $400 million, 90,000‑square‑foot White House ballroom halted until Congress authorizes it. He wrote that “no statute comes close to giving the President the authority he claims to have,” adding, “The President of the United States is the steward of the White House for future generations of First Families. He is not, however, the owner!”

The order takes effect in 14 days, leaving room for an appeal. Leon said work can resume if Congress explicitly approves or funds the project, noting that authority over federal property and spending rests with lawmakers under multiple federal statutes.

Leon also criticized the project’s funding pipeline as a “Rube Goldberg” arrangement in which private donations were routed through a nonprofit to the National Park Service and then into a White House maintenance account, calling it “a far cry from affirmative congressional authorization.” The pause does not cover the ongoing planning review before the National Capital Planning Commission, which remains set to consider final approval of the design.

AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources