The administrative order issued by Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. is only temporary
US Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. has allowed work on President Donald Trump’s controversial White House ballroom to continue despite a pending lawsuit. On Friday, the judge issued an administrative stay of lower courts’ rulings that would have halted construction.
Last month, an appeals court supported a decision by a federal district court judge stating that the project requires congressional approval and that work must stop until it is given. Trump then filed an emergency appeal with the Supreme Court.
Trump argued that work on the 90,000-square-foot addition to the White House needed to continue for the sake of national security and the president’s own safety. The construction includes a five-story underground military complex that would include shelters and a hospital to protect senior officials in case of an emergency, the Washington Post reported, citing court filings. According to the paper’s estimates, the overall project could cost $600 million.
The Trump administration is also said to have claimed that the ballroom itself would be outfitted with missile-resistant columns and a drone-proof roof, adding an additional layer of protection to the underground bunker and the White House in general.
Roberts’ decision is reportedly aimed at giving the Supreme Court more time to assess the emergency appeal. It is unclear how long the administrative stay might last. According to the Washington Post, such injunctions usually stay in place for days.
Trump praised the development on Truth Social, stating he was “grateful” and calling the project “vital for National Security.” He also vowed to make the ballroom “the greatest of its kind.” On Saturday, he also claimed that the project was “under budget, and ahead of schedule” and would cost taxpayers “zero dollars.”
The National Trust for Historic Preservation – a privately funded non-profit overseeing protection of historic places across the US and which challenged the ballroom in court – stated that the decision was “not final,” adding that they were awaiting “further action.” It has questioned the administration’s claim that the project is needed for national security.
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer blasted the judge’s decision by accusing what he called the “MAGA Supreme Court” of “rubber stamping Trump’s vanity-driven, gilded corruption.” He also claimed that the administration was “wasting money” on Trump’s “pet projects.”
The ballroom started being built in October 2025. A section of the East Wing of the White House was torn down to make space for the addition, expected to seat 650 people – more than three times the space in the East Room, the largest event space in the White House. The Democrats were quick to slam the project as a “disgrace.”
According to the Washington Post, officials told the Supreme Court this month that construction was about “65% complete,” with some 250 people supposed to be working on it 20 hours a day, seven days a week.
