President Donald Trump’s planned White House ballroom won approval from the 12‑member National Capital Planning Commission on Thursday despite a federal judge two days earlier ordering a halt to construction unless Congress approves what plaintiffs say would be the largest structural change to the landmark in more than 70 years. The commission voted 8–1, with two members voting “present” and one absent, allowing the planning measure to move forward; commission chair Will Scharf said Judge Richard Leon’s ruling affects construction activities but “really does not impact our action here today.” The judge has stayed his order for two weeks while the administration pursues an appeal, and he allowed construction tied to security to continue.
The vote followed an earlier postponement after an overflow of public comment at a March meeting; most comments opposed the project. Phil Mendelson, chair of the D.C. Council, cast the lone “no” vote and argued the addition is excessive: “It’s just too large.” Two mayoral appointees voted present. Critics, including the nonprofit Public Citizen, said the commission discounted opposition from city officials and thousands of commenters and ignored the judge’s ruling; attorney Jon Golinger called the approval “illegitimate” and “a joke.”
Scharf, a top White House aide and a Trump appointee, delivered a forceful defense of the plan, invoking past, once‑controversial White House alterations that later became accepted parts of the building. “I believe that, in time, this ballroom will be considered every bit of a national treasure as the other key components of the White House,” he said, adding that opponents had judged the project by their views of the president rather than its merits: “I feel that we’ve been unfairly slighted in the press and otherwise for the way we’ve gone about reviewing this particular project.”
The proposed 90,000‑square‑foot (8,400‑square‑meter) addition-now estimated to cost $400 million-has grown in scope since being announced last summer. Trump demolished the East Wing in October with little public notice; site preparation and underground work have proceeded since. The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued to stop work and sought a temporary halt until the project was presented to both commissions and Congress.
Before the vote the commission considered design tweaks Trump announced on Air Force One, including removing a large south staircase and adding an uncovered west porch after critics said the stairs were impractically large. Two other Trump appointees, Stuart Levenbach and James Blair, backed the plan. Levenbach, the commission’s vice chair, said the White House is currently “not suited” to host large gatherings and described the addition as a “multipurpose facility” that would include offices for the first lady, kitchen space and a theater; he also said underground tunnels limit options for placing functions below grade.
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle praised the commission’s action, calling it a decision to approve the president’s “historic vision” and saying, “We look forward to seeing the completion of this project on time and under budget.” Legal challenges and the judge’s stay, however, could still delay construction and the administration’s effort to finish the ballroom before the end of Trump’s term in early 2029.
Original Source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/trumps-white-house-ballroom-gets-final-approval-despite-court-order-11304709#publisher=newsstand
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Publish Date: 2026-04-03 04:16:00
