A divided federal appeals court has ruled that the Trump administration must halt construction of a proposed White House ballroom unless Congress authorises it. The decision is significant because it challenges the scope of presidential power over major changes to the White House and is expected to be appealed to the US Supreme Court.

The 2–1 DC Circuit ruling upheld an earlier injunction sought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which argued that the administration could not demolish the East Wing and build a new structure using privately raised funds without congressional approval. The project is estimated to cost $400 million and would create a 90,000-square-foot ballroom; the court put its ruling on hold for 14 days to allow an appeal, while the administration described the decision as unjust and said it would seek Supreme Court review.