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A federal judge on Tuesday said he was “inclined to deny” a bid to force the Trump administration to halt construction of the White House ballroom but warned officials not to undertake any irreversible work before a January hearing that could still stop the project.
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon said he will hold another hearing during the second week in January and hinted he may still order a pause.
“Any below ground construction” in the coming weeks that dictates above-ground work should be avoided, Leon said, adding, “be prepared to take that down.”
Lawyers for the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the U.S. argued the case is not about the need for a ballroom but about the need to follow the law.
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Democratic leaders and liberal media figures have condemned President Donald Trump for breaking ground on the White House ballroom construction project. (Andrew Harnik/Getty)
They said any construction on federal land requires congressional approval.
Lawyers representing the National Park Service countered that President Trump has authority to direct construction at the White House, saying “work must continue for national security issues.”
“See you in January,” Leon said as he warned the government not to pursue anything irreversible.
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Attorney General Pam Bondi weighed in Tuesday evening.
“Today @TheJusticeDept attorneys defeated an attempt to stop President Trump’s totally lawful East Wing Modernization and State Ballroom Project,” she wrote on X. “President Trump has faced countless bad-faith left-wing legal attacks – this was no different. We will continue defending the President’s project in court in the coming weeks.”
On Monday, the Trump administration argued in a court filing that pausing construction would undermine national security, citing a Secret Service declaration warning that halting work would leave the site unable to meet “safety and security requirements” necessary to protect President Donald Trump.
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US President Donald Trump shows an image of his planned ballroom as he meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on Oct. 22, 2025. (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
The declaration said the East Wing, demolished in October and now undergoing below-grade work, could not be left unfinished without compromising essential security measures.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued last week to stop the project, arguing the government had to follow federal review procedures before any irreversible work began.
The group said the proposed 90,000-square-foot addition, now estimated at more than $300 million, would overwhelm the Executive Residence and permanently alter the White House’s historic design.
The administration countered that the lawsuit was premature, noting regulatory reviews were still coming and above-grade construction was not scheduled to begin until April 2026.
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The National Trust said early intervention was necessary, citing warnings from architectural historians who said the ballroom would mark the most significant exterior change to the White House in more than 80 years.
Fox News Digital’s Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.