Supreme Court continues to allow construction of Trump’s White House ballroom

Updated on: August 31, 2026 / 4:39 PM EDT / CBS News

Washington — The Supreme Court on Monday continued to allow construction of the new White House ballroom, clearing the way for the massive new structure that President Trump has championed.

In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court halted lower court rulings that would have temporarily blocked the construction of a new 90,000-square-foot ballroom where the East Wing once stood.

The high court said in an unsigned opinion that the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which filed a lawsuit to block the project, did not have the legal right to sue. It did not address the legality of Mr. Trump's East Wing project.

Chief Justice John Roberts joined with the three liberal justices in dissent.

Roberts had temporarily allowed work on the ballroom to continue earlier this month, giving the Supreme Court more time to weigh the Trump administration's bid for emergency relief.

In its unsigned opinion, the court ruled that lower court judges "likely exceeded" their authority by blocking the ballroom. The majority pointed to sworn declarations from top administration officials, including the director of National Intelligence, and heads of the Secret Service, Army and the State Department…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/healthwatch/