Appeals Court Stops Construction on Trump's Mega-Ballroom
NEWS & RESEARCH
On August 7, 2026, a federal appeals court panel ordered a halt to construction of President Trump’s planned $400 - $600 million ballroom, finding that Congress had to approve the project. The ballroomo project is part of White House renovations that would cost an estimated $900 million. In October 2025, Trump ordered the demolition of the White House East Wing to construct a 90,000-square-foot ballroom. At first Trump said that the ballroom would be paid for by private donors, not taxpayers. Indeed, Trump hosted a private dinner for project sponsors—including major tech firms like Microsoft and Amazon, crypto giants like Coinbase, and tobacco executives. But that dinner still left a gap of $200 - $400 million which would have to be covered from the US Treasury. Undeterred by the price tag, Senate Republicans proposed what they termed to be security enhancements for the Trump-demolished East Wing at a cost of $1 billion, tucked away in a bill that funds immigration enforcement agencies. The Senate parliamentarian rejected that ploy, leading Trump to call for her firing. Republicans plan to tweak the language and resubmit the spending bill.
SOURCES: ABC News | PBS | Politico | Open Secrets | New York Times | New York Times | The Guardian | New York Times | The Hill | Washington Post | Washington Post | Washington Post
ANALYSIS & OPINION
Ron Filipkowski, the editor-in-chief of MeidasNews, wrote: "Republicans are going to make taxpayers pay for Trump's ballroom. All Trump's claims over 16 months that 'donors' were going to pay for it was always a lie and just another con.”
Former White House ethics lawyer under George W. Bush, Richard Painter, labeled the project an "ethics nightmare," suggesting wealthy donors are purchasing executive access.
The New York Times Opinion’s editor Kathleen Kingsbury described the demolition as the height of “grift.”
SOURCES: New York Times | BBC | Axios | Reuters
HOW TO FIX IT
Enact the Stop Ballroom Bribery Act, banning anonymous donations and solicitations by the president and institutes a two-year lobbying "cooling-off period" for contributors.
Pass the Closing Bribery Loopholes Act of 2026, which expands the definition of “official act” to prevent overly narrow readings that undermine enforcement against bribery.
Legislation: H.R.6085 - Stop Ballroom Bribery Act | H.R. 3741 - Closing Bribery Loopholes Act
