US appeals court blocks Trump’s US$400 million White House ballroom project

President Donald Trump holds a rendering of the proposed new East Wing of the White House as he speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One en route from West Palm Beach to Joint Base Andrews, on Mar 29, 2026. (File photo: AP/Mark Schiefelbein) 07 Aug 2026 10:49PM WASHINGTON: A United States federal appeals court on Friday (Aug 7) ordered US President Donald Trump’s administration to stop construction on a US$400 million ballroom on the site of the White House's demolished East Wing, dealing the Republican leader a major setback in a case testing his presidential authority.The Washington-based US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in a divided 2-1 order upheld a preliminary injunction won by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which sued last year after the admini