Supreme Court Allows White House Ballroom Construction to Proceed

Former White House lawyer Ty Cobb on Monday criticized President Trump's White House ballroom project, stating the historic building is turning into some combination of a whorehouse and Las Vegas.

His comments followed the Supreme Court's 5-4 decision on August 31, 2026, allowing construction of the estimated US$400 million White House ballroom to continue. The Court granted an emergency request from the Trump administration, staying lower court rulings that had partially blocked the project. The majority ruled on procedural grounds, finding that the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which brought the legal challenge, likely lacked legal standing to sue because it was not directly harmed by the project.

The Court did not address the underlying legality of the construction. Chief Justice John Roberts dissented, joining Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Roberts argued the construction was likely unlawful because Congress had not passed any law granting express authority for building on federal park grounds in the District of Columbia. He wrote that "Today's decision is no victory for the separation of powers."

President Trump celebrated the ruling on Truth Social, stating he was pleased and that the "Ballroom/Military Complex" would be one of the Greatest ever constructed in Washington, D.C. He said the project would be completed by summer 2028. The 90,000-square-foot ballroom complex involves demolishing the East Wing and includes a military complex underneath with drone-proof structures and drone ports.

White House spokesman David Ingle stated the project is inextricably tied to the security of the president, the White House grounds, and the certain security infrastructure assets. Ingle cited a shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in April and a thwarted attack on the UFC Freedom 250 event in June as evidence of the project's necessity.