The federal choose presiding over a problem to the White Home ballroom undertaking 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 Decide 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 known as “an icon that is a nationwide establishment,” and described the intent to fund it with personal items as a “Rube Goldberg contraption” that will evade congressional oversight.
The Nationwide Belief for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit last month looking for to cease the ballroom development till the undertaking completes the federal evaluation course of normal for federal constructing tasks and the administration seeks public touch upon the proposed adjustments.
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 looking for a preliminary injunction.
On the finish of the hour-long listening to Thursday, Decide Leon mentioned he’ll doubtless not subject a choice this month, however “hopefully” in February. He mentioned he expects the shedding facet to enchantment.
In an announcement supplied to ABC Information, White Home spokesman Davis Ingle mentioned: “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 Folks’s Home.”
The White Home announced the construction of a 90,000-square foot ballroom in late July, and demolition started instantly on the East Wing in late October, when staff had been noticed tearing down the wing of the White Home that contained the primary woman’s workplaces.
The dimensions and value of the undertaking have elevated since first being unveiled. In November, Trump mentioned the undertaking would price $400 million, after an preliminary estimate of $200 million. The White Home has mentioned the undertaking will likely be funded by personal donations.
Decide Leon, a George W. Bush appointee, mentioned 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 undertaking, and he admonished the Justice Division’s lawyer to “be severe” 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 Photos
Whereas the case presents a collection of difficult and overlapping authorized points, the choose spent a lot of the listening to targeted on simply two federal statutes — one, which says that no “constructing or construction” may 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 might have gone to lawmakers to hunt approval for the demolition and rebuild. He additionally recommended 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 undertaking, when he might solicit items to the Nationwide Park Service to fund it as a substitute. 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 ground 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 through Getty Photos
“[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 examine that to tearing down the East Wing? C’mon! Be severe.”
Leon mentioned he noticed “no foundation” within the legislative historical past of the park service’s present authority that will permit Trump to make use of it to boost $400 million to construct a brand new White Home ballroom. “None,” Leon mentioned. “Zero.”
Arguing for the Nationwide Belief, legal professional Tad Heuer described the president as a “momentary tenant of the White Home, not the owner.” Leon recommended “steward” is likely to be a extra becoming time period.
“He’s not the proprietor,” Heuer mentioned.
President Donald Trump holds a ground 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 through Getty Photos
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 reduce him off.
“I am very snug with standing on this case,” Leon mentioned. “Sorry to disappoint you. You may get your likelihood on the Court docket of Appeals.”
Roth warned the choose that an order halting development at this stage might expose the present White Home construction to wreck and probably result in safety issues, because it’s broadly believed {that a} substitute for a previously-existing underground bunker is a part of the undertaking. The Nationwide Belief has mentioned it could not object to continued development on the safety portion of the work.
“It will possibly’t be divided out that manner,” Roth mentioned of the security-related development, “until we would like the courtroom to be the undertaking supervisor on web site.”
Leon declined to subject an order from the bench. He mentioned the approaching winter storm made it unlikely he would subject 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.
