WASHINGTON — In the shadow of a federal judge’s Tuesday ruling blocking construction from advancing, the National Capital Planning Commission voted Thursday to approve the concept and site designs of President Donald Trump’s White House East Wing Modernization project.
Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia Richard J. Leon, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, in a long-awaited ruling, enjoined Trump administration officials “from taking any action in furtherance of the physical development of the proposed ballroom at the former site of the East Wing of the White House.” He said the administration should seek approval from Congress to proceed.
Trump dismisses need for Congress approval on White House ballroom https://t.co/IRZHRYKAZrpic.twitter.com/GH2dhy1zZP
— New York Post (@nypost) April 2, 2026
While weighing a lawsuit by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States against the project, Leon previously signaled his intent to require the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts to conduct their legally-authorized reviews of the design and consider its potential impacts on the White House campus.
“NCPC is not a party with that lawsuit. The injunction doesn’t speak to the NCPC review process,” Chairman William Scharf summarized as he began his report. “From my perspective, we have a project before us: we’ve been asked to review it, and that’s really our job here today … we’ll move past that and continue our consideration of the Eastern modernization project.”
Scharf began the agenda item pertaining to the ballroom with a lengthy reaction to the court order and the intensity of public interest — notably expressed through a record submission of 32,000 comments — throughout the panel’s deliberative process. The Trump-appointed chairman, who also serves as the White House staff secretary, then provided an expansive and detailed history of various improvement projects throughout the life of the Executive Mansion. Scharf offered numerous examples of criticism levied at various features of the White House.
“Criticism and skies-falling pronouncements from so-called historic preservationists and their allies in the press are therefore nothing new in the history of the White House,” Scharf said. “While some might wish for history in the world to stand still, the fact of the matter is that the White House complex has constantly evolved to meet the programmatic needs of it. It is in that context in which I believe we must now review the ballroom project that is before this Commission.”
President Trump:
“On Palm Sunday, Jesus entered Jerusalem as crowds welcomed him with praise honoring him as king. They call me king now. Do you believe it? I’m such a king I can’t get a ballroom approved. If I was a king, I’d be doing a lot more.” pic.twitter.com/tXuSPjBATm
— The American Conservative (@amconmag) April 1, 2026
Should the ballroom project at the White House be allowed to proceed despite the federal injunction?
“This ballroom will be considered every bit as much of a national treasure as the other key components of the White House,” he promised, “and I believe that, in time, the nation and successive presidents of both parties of all political stripes long into the future will be grateful to President Trump for having initiated and brought this project into being.”
Commissioner Phil Mendelson, the chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia, echoed previous concerns about the NCPC’s perceived “piecemeal” and “rushed” consideration of the project. He also lamented he “didn’t get a persuasive answer” to his objection regarding the proposed ballroom’s height.
“I think there’s a lot of value to the iterative process, and we’ve not had that,” Mendelson, the most critical of the commissioners, stated.
Commissioner Linda Argo, an appointee of District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser, offered a similar complaint.
Longtime Commissioner Arrington Dixon, another Muriel appointee, suggested the project was meritorious, regardless of which president was in office at the time. “To the victor goes the spoils,” he quipped.
Commissioner Mendelson ultimately voted against the project; Commissioners Argo and Dixon voted as present. The rest of the NCPC voted in approval.
“I would like to thank the hardworking Commissioners and Staff of the National Capital Planning Commission, who just voted overwhelmingly, 8-1, to approve the magnificent White House Ballroom now rising on this Hallowed Ground,” Trump posted to Truth Social following the final vote. “I am pleased to announce that even Board Member Senator Rand Paul, known as an extraordinarily difficult vote, voted a strong YES. For more than 150 years, every President has dreamt about having a Ballroom at the White House to accommodate people for Grand Parties, State Visits, and even, in the Modern Day, Inaugurations. I am honored to be the first President to finally get this much-needed project, which is on time and under budget, underway. When completed, it will be the Greatest and Most Beautiful Ballroom of its kind anywhere in the World, and a fabulous complement to our Beautiful and Storied White House!”
Having swiftly appealed the judge’s ruling, the Trump administration hopes to resolve all legal challenges to the ballroom project and maintain its projected 2028 completion before its biggest advocate leaves office.
(Featured Image Media Credit: Screen Capture/PBS)
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