Appeals court blocks Trump's White House ballroom, teeing up Supreme Court fight

Updated on: August 7, 2026 / 1:08 PM EDT / CBS News Washington — A federal appeals court on Friday said the Trump White House lacks the authority to unilaterally construct a new 90,000-square-foot ballroom where the East Wing once stood, finding that the $400 million project requires congressional approval. President Trump quickly said he would appeal the ruling directly to the Supreme Court, setting up a showdown before the justices over the ballroom's controversial construction. In a 2-1 decision , a panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit sided with a lower court in ruling that the White House "very likely" lacked authority to demolish and rebuild the East Wing. Judge Neomi Rao, who was nominated to the federal bench by Mr.

Missing media or need the complete publisher report? Open CBS News

Scoop News DeskWashington · Published Friday, August 7, 2026 at 5:08 PM UTCUpdated Friday, August 7, 2026 at 7:39 PM UTC

Scoop News reporting summary

The text below was supplied by the Scoop Newsroom app. Third-party reporting is attributed in the source panel.

In a statement, Brent Leggs, the president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said he was "pleased" with the ruling. "This decision is particularly meaningful as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and advocate for renewed protections for historic preservation," Leggs said. "The White House, a global landmark that symbolizes American identity and the ideals of democracy, belongs to the American people.