President Trump is celebrating a legal victory in his mission to renovate the White House with the addition of a grand ballroom. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled that a challenge to the construction project was unlikely to succeed on the merits and dismissed a motion for a preliminary injunction.
In response to the ruling, President Trump released a statement on Truth Social hailing the decision.
“Great news for America, and our wonderful White House!” President Trump said. “The Judge on the case of what will be the most beautiful Ballroom anywhere in the World, has just thrown out, and completely erased, the effort to stop its construction.”
President Trump announced the project last July, and construction began in October, 2025. During the course of the legal challenge, administration officials shared a timeline with Judge Leon, stating foundational construction for the ballroom would begin later this month, and above-ground construction would likely begin in April. In his statement, Trump emphasized that the construction of the ballroom is not costing taxpayers and is instead funded by private sources.
“As everyone knows, not one dollar of Taxpayer money is being spent, but rather, all money necessary to build this magnificent building is being put up by Patriot Donors and Contributors,” President Trump said. “The Ballroom construction, which is anticipated to also handle future Inaugurations and large State Visits, is ahead of schedule, and under budget. It will stand long into the future as a symbol to the Greatness of America!”
As the plaintiff in the case, the National Trust for the Historic Preservation of the United States brought suit alleging that President Trump did not have the necessary authority to proceed with the project without first obtaining the approval of Congress. According to Judge Leon’s ruling, the plaintiff’s case was based on a “ragtag group of theories under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) and the Constitution.”
The ruling against the plaintiff rested on two key findings. The first was that the White House is not considered an “agency” under the APA. The second found that the plaintiff did not bring the necessary “ultra vires” claim to challenge President Trump’s actions as exceeding his executive authority. Judge Leon’s ruling included the potential option for the plaintiff to amend the complaint and include the necessary claims based on presidential authority for review of the “novel and weighty issues presented.”