US judge halts Trump's $400 million White House ballroom project for now

By Mike Scarcella

WASHINGTON, March 31 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge blocked Donald Trump on Tuesday from proceeding with construction of a $400 million ballroom on the site of the White House's demolished East Wing, halting for now one of the Republican president's most visible efforts to reshape the seat of American power.

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in Washington granted a request for a preliminary injunction by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit organization that brought a lawsuit alleging Trump exceeded his authority when he razed the historic East Wing and launched construction without approval from Congress.

The decision by Leon, an appointee of Republican President George W. Bush, keeps the 90,000-square-foot ballroom project on hold while the lawsuit continues.

Trump has championed the ballroom as a defining addition to the White House and a lasting symbol of his presidency. Leon's ruling marks a sharp setback for the Justice Department, which opposed the injunction and has defended the ballroom as an allowable alteration that modernizes the White House grounds.

The National Trust sued Trump and several federal agencies in December after the administration demolished the East Wing - originally constructed in 1902 and expanded during Franklin Roosevelt’s presidency - to make way for what Trump has vowed will be the “finest” ballroom in the country.

The group argues that neither the president nor the National Park Service, which manages the White House grounds, had authority to tear down the historic structure or erect a major new facility without explicit congressional approval.

At a March 17 hearing, Leon pressed government lawyers on the Justice Department’s shifting explanations for the president’s authority, calling the White House grounds a “special place” and an “iconic symbol” of the nation.

The Trump administration has said the ballroom will modernize infrastructure, bolster security and ease strain on the Executive Mansion, which often relies on temporary outdoor structures to host large events.

Officials emphasize the project is funded entirely by private donors - a point Trump has repeatedly highlighted.

A panel of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, composed entirely of Trump appointees, voted 6-0 in February to approve the design.

The ballroom is part of Trump’s broader push to reshape Washington’s monumental core, which also includes plans for a 250-foot arch and changes at the Kennedy Center, a cultural landmark and performance center.