U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts issued a temporary stay on a lower court's injunction that had blocked above-ground construction of President Donald Trump's White House ballroom. This stay was issued on August 21, 2026, and allows construction to proceed while the Supreme Court reviews the case. The injunction, originally entered by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on April 16, is now on hold pending further orders from the Supreme Court.
The Trump administration had requested the Supreme Court's intervention, arguing that halting construction could pose risks to national security and the safety of the president and senior officials. The administration described the ballroom project as part of an "integrated military complex" necessary for the protection of the president, his family, and visiting foreign leaders.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, which is opposing the project, contends that Congress has not authorized the ballroom and has accused the administration of trying to expedite construction to avoid judicial review. The legal dispute has escalated, with a divided federal appeals court ruling that Congress had not authorized the ballroom, which would have blocked above-ground construction while allowing underground work to continue.
Roberts' order does not resolve the underlying legal issues but allows construction to continue temporarily.