Trump Appeals Supreme Court Block on $400 Million White House Ballroom as Renovation Costs Near $900 Million
Updated
Updated · Rolling Stone · Aug 12
Trump Appeals Supreme Court Block on $400 Million White House Ballroom as Renovation Costs Near $900 Million
3 articles · Updated · Rolling Stone · Aug 12
Summary
An emergency Supreme Court plea asks justices to lift a federal appeals court order that halted above-ground work on Trump’s planned $400 million White House ballroom.
The filing follows a ruling that Congress—not the president—controls the White House complex, after judges said Trump lacked authority to demolish the East Wing and proceed without congressional approval.
Administration records reviewed by The Washington Post put Trump’s broader White House overhaul at roughly $900 million, up from an earlier $600 million estimate.
About $875 million has been redirected into a White House “Repair and Restoration” account from other federal funds, far above the roughly $2.5 million Congress had appropriated annually before Trump returned to office.
The dispute now tests both the legality of Trump’s unilateral redesign of the presidential residence and how far the Supreme Court will let the project proceed while the case continues.