The Trump administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday to issue an emergency stay allowing above-ground construction to continue on a massive, privately funded East Wing renovation and ballroom complex at the White House.
Solicitor General D. John Sauer filed the application following a 2-1 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on August 7, which upheld a preliminary injunction halting above-grade physical development of the project.
The D.C. Circuit stayed its own ruling for 14 days, setting an August 21 deadline before the work stoppage takes effect.
In the filing, the Justice Department argued that pausing construction would jeopardize national security and the physical safety of President Donald Trump. Government officials described the structure not merely as a ballroom, but as an integrated, multi-story military complex featuring underground bunkers, medical facilities, blast-proof materials, and an elevated drone defense platform.
“The Project is critical for ensuring that the White House can serve as a secure location for the gathering of the President, gathering of senior government officials, and gatherings that further the interests of the United States,” Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton stated in filings submitted with the application.
The administration also disclosed that the project is roughly 65 percent complete, with crews working 20 hours a day to erect a concrete-and-steel superstructure rising 70 feet above ground. Halting construction now, the government argued, would leave an unstable, partially finished frame that creates operational vulnerabilities for the Secret Service and risks structural damage from weather.
The legal battle began in December 2025, when the National Trust for Historic Preservation sued to stop the development following the demolition of the 1942 East Wing. The preservation group argued that the 90,000-square-foot structure lacked required congressional approval under federal property laws and would permanently damage the historical aesthetics of President’s Park and the surrounding landmark district.
A divided D.C. Circuit panel ruled that Congress maintains ultimate authority over federal property and that general statutory provisions for White House maintenance do not authorize the unilateral construction of a new, privately funded building. The appellate majority maintained an exception in the injunction allowing below-ground national security work and essential site protection to continue, but barred above-ground construction of the ballroom itself.
In its Supreme Court petition, the government contended that the National Trust lacks legal standing to sue based on the aesthetic objections of an individual member. The administration also maintained that the President holds statutory discretion to execute improvements to the Executive Residence and that the injunction improperly substitutes judicial oversight for executive and military security assessments.
The application asks the Supreme Court to grant an immediate administrative stay while the justices consider whether to freeze the lower-court injunction pending a formal petition for review.
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