The federal choose presiding over a problem to the White Home ballroom venture signaled deep skepticism of the Trump administration’s argument that the president has the authorized authority to undertake the East Wing renovations and to fund them with personal donations.
In a listening to on Thursday, U.S. District Court docket Choose Richard Leon pressed an administration lawyer on each of these points — as he questioned whether or not the president has the ability to tear down a part of what he referred to as “an icon that is a nationwide establishment,” and described the intent to fund it with personal presents as a “Rube Goldberg contraption” that might evade congressional oversight.
The Nationwide Belief for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit last month searching for to cease the ballroom development till the venture completes the federal overview course of customary for federal constructing tasks and the administration seeks public touch upon the proposed modifications.
Marine One, with President Donald Trump aboard, lifts off the South Garden, Jan. 13, 2026 on the White Home.
Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP, FILE
The Nationwide Belief, the privately funded nonprofit designated by Congress to guard historic websites, was searching for a preliminary injunction.
On the finish of the hour-long listening to Thursday, Choose Leon stated he’ll doubtless not challenge a choice this month, however “hopefully” in February. He stated he expects the shedding aspect to attraction.
In a press release offered to ABC Information, White Home spokesman Davis Ingle stated: “President Trump is working 24/7 to Make America Nice Once more, together with his historic beautification of the White Home, at no taxpayer expense. These long-needed upgrades will profit generations of future presidents and American guests to the Individuals’s Home.”
The White Home announced the construction of a 90,000-square foot ballroom in late July, and demolition started all of a sudden on the East Wing in late October, when employees have been noticed tearing down the wing of the White Home that contained the primary girl’s places of work.
The dimensions and price of the venture have elevated since first being unveiled. In November, Trump stated the venture would value $400 million, after an preliminary estimate of $200 million. The White Home has stated the venture can be funded by personal donations.
Choose Leon, a George W. Bush appointee, stated the Trump administration seems to be making an “finish run” round congressional oversight with the president’s plan to privately elevate $400 million for the ballroom venture, and he admonished the Justice Division’s lawyer to “be critical” in justifying a authorized rationale for it.
An excavator works to clear rubble after the East Wing of the White Home was demolished, Oct. 23, 2025.
Eric Lee/Getty Photographs
Whereas the case presents a sequence of difficult and overlapping authorized points, the choose spent a lot of the listening to centered on simply two federal statutes — one, which says that no “constructing or construction” will be constructed on any federal public grounds within the District of Columbia “with out specific authority of Congress,” and one other that requires yearly appropriations for the “upkeep, restore, alteration, refurnishing [and] enchancment” of the White Home.
Leon famous that Republicans management each homes of Congress, and that the president may have gone to lawmakers to hunt approval for the demolition and rebuild. He additionally urged the $2.5 million Congress not too long ago appropriated for White Home upkeep was for “very small-size tasks,” not a ballroom.
Justice Division lawyer Yaakov Roth responded that Trump did not need $400 million in taxpayer cash for use for the venture, when he may solicit presents to the Nationwide Park Service to fund it as an alternative. Roth additionally famous that Congress was by no means requested in Gerald Ford’s period to approve the constructing of a swimming pool, or a tennis pavilion throughout Trump’s first time period.
President Donald Trump holds a flooring plan of the deliberate White Home Ballroom extension throughout a gathering with Mark Rutte, secretary normal of the North Atlantic Treaty Group (NATO), not pictured, within the Oval Workplace of the White Home, Oct. 22, 2025.
Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg by way of Getty Photographs
“[Your argument for using NPS’s gift authority] on an icon that is a nationwide treasure is, what? The ’77 Gerald Ford swimming pool?” Leon requested. “You evaluate that to tearing down the East Wing? C’mon! Be critical.”
Leon stated he noticed “no foundation” within the legislative historical past of the park service’s reward authority that might permit Trump to make use of it to lift $400 million to construct a brand new White Home ballroom. “None,” Leon stated. “Zero.”
Arguing for the Nationwide Belief, legal professional Tad Heuer described the president as a “short-term tenant of the White Home, not the owner.” Leon urged “steward” could be a extra becoming time period.
“He’s not the proprietor,” Heuer stated.
President Donald Trump holds a flooring plan of the deliberate White Home Ballroom extension throughout a gathering with Mark Rutte, secretary normal of the North Atlantic Treaty Group (NATO), not pictured, within the Oval Workplace of the White Home, Oct. 22, 2025.
Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg by way of Getty Photographs
As Roth took the rostrum to start his argument on behalf of the administration, he tried to persuade the choose that the Nationwide Belief has no standing to sue. Leon abruptly minimize him off.
“I am very snug with standing on this case,” Leon stated. “Sorry to disappoint you. You will get your likelihood on the Court docket of Appeals.”
Roth warned the choose that an order halting development at this stage may expose the prevailing White Home construction to break and probably result in safety issues, because it’s extensively believed {that a} alternative for a previously-existing underground bunker is a part of the venture. The Nationwide Belief has stated it could not object to continued development on the safety portion of the work.
“It might’t be divided out that method,” Roth stated of the security-related development, “except we wish the courtroom to be the venture supervisor on website.”
Leon declined to challenge an order from the bench. He stated the approaching winter storm made it unlikely he would challenge a ruling on the Nationwide Belief’s movement for a preliminary injunction earlier than the tip of this month.
ABC Information’ Michelle Stoddard contributed to this report.
Editor’s Word: An earlier model of this story misidentified an legal professional for the Nationwide Belief for Historic Preservation. The story has been corrected and up to date.
