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Federal Court Rules Trump Cannot Build Ballroom Without Congressional Approval

HeadlineAug 10, 2026

A federal appeals court ruled Friday that Trump cannot build a ballroom to replace the White House East Wing without Congress approving it first. The court confirmed the lower court’s ruling that the president has no legal authority to tear down and rebuild White House sections without Congress’s approval. President Trump vowed to appeal the ruling, writing on Truth Social, “It is all tied together as one big, expensive, and very complex unit, which is vital for National Security and Military Operations of the United States of America! This unjust decision must be overturned by the Supreme Court in its entirety.”

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