Trump’s White House ballroom project was allegedly scrapped. We broke down real status

Claim:

Construction of US President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom was halted by a federal judge in mid-February 2026.

Evaluation:

Context:

As of this writing, a federal judge has yet to rule on the legal status of the construction project. While Trump stated in his social media post that the project was progressing “ahead of schedule”, the White House spokesman said that the project was still in the “demolition stage”.

A social media rumor that appeared around February 10, 2026, requested A federal judge had stopped US President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom construction project.

Trump begins demolition of the East Wing of the White House October 2025 to replace it with a 90,000-square-foot ballroom. in December 2025The nonprofit National Trust for Historic Preservation sued the administration, arguing that the project began without necessary approvals or congressional authority.

In mid-February 2026, numerous readers asked us to confirm whether a federal judge had halted ballroom construction. 10 February Facebook The post stated:

Trump’s infamous new White House ballroom and bunker have been scrapped by a federal judge and a committee to protect the national confidence. It was also revealed that $400 million in money from ballroom donors had either disappeared or never existed. 🤔

Image of the White House (below) shows the former site of the East Wing, built in 1902 and renovated in 1942, completely demolished with several bulldozers and loaders clearing away the final rubble.

GSA now needs to hire a construction company to fill in the east wing (which had been improperly demolished) with soil and sod. The judge and the committee also ruled that Trump “cannot even paint the wall of the White House without permission and committee approval.”

(Facebook user Alex W. Weis)

At the time of this writing, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, the judge presiding over the case, had not yet ruled on the status of the ballroom construction project. We reached the White House; A spokesperson told us the ballroom has not yet been built and the project is still in the “demolition phase.”

For this reason, we consider the claim that the judge stopped the construction to be false. We will update the issue when the court announces its decision.

Photos are on Getty Images It showed construction cranes around the demolition site in late January 2026.

National Trust defended that the project was proceeding without authorization from Congress and with inadequate environmental assessments.

On December 17, 2025, Leon denied the National Trust’s request for a temporary restraining order on the project and temporarily allowed Try to move on. The judge’s order stated that there was “no imminent risk of irreparable aesthetic harm” because the ballroom plans had not yet been finalized.

Accordingly arguments Under legislation introduced by the Trump administration in January 2026, previous presidents did not need congressional approval to build or renovate the White House grounds. The government also said that above-ground construction will not start until: April 2026.

In late January 2026, Leon expressed his doubts He said the administration has the legal authority to demolish the East Wing and continue construction. But he said he would to make a decision probably in the coming weeks February 2026on whether an interim injunction that would halt construction work for the duration of the case would be allowed.

According to Bloomberg news reportingLeon predicted the issue would go to the federal appeals court and possibly the Supreme Court as well. Accordingly court records On February 12, Leon had not issued such an injunction.

The White House did not specify how much money it raised or who the private donors were, instead directing us to Trump’s latest statement. Trump on February 10, 2026 sent He said on TruthSocial that the construction project was “on budget and ahead of schedule.” He also shared digital renderings of what the potential ballroom would look like.

Trump on January 25 sent the project is privately financed and will cost $300 to $400 million:

On top of everything I do, I am building one of the largest and most beautiful Ballrooms anywhere in the world with $300 Million of money from the Great American Patriots, and I have been working closely with the United States Military and Secret Service from the very beginning. This is a GIFT to the United States of $300 to $400 Million (depending on the scope and quality of interior finishes!) for a much needed space (ZERO taxpayer financing!) […]

The White House in November 2025 launched The list of donors for the ballroom project includes charities, sports team owners, tech companies, media companies and billionaires. Associated Press reported that an additional company, as well as an artificial intelligence chip manufacturer, also donated to the project. The administration did not disclose how much each donor contributed.

owned by Snopes covered a large number of allegations About the destruction in the East Wing and Trump’s plans to build a ballroom in the White House.

Sources:

“A Ballroom Construction Crane Flyes Over White…” Getty Images, February 10, 2026, https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/crane-used-in-the-ballroom-construction-hovers-above-the-news-photo/2260298495. Access date: 12 February 2026.

“Cranes and Temporary Visitor Entrance Seen on the North Side…” Getty Images, January 28, 2026, https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/cranes-and-a-temporary-visitor-entrance-is-seen-on-the-news-photo/2257847734. Access date: 12 February 2026.

Esposito, Joey. “15 Allegations We Investigated About the Destruction in the East Wing of the White House.” Snopes, 26 November 2025, https://www.snopes.com//collections/white-house-demolition-collection/. Access date: 12 February 2026.

Judge Questions Trump’s Authority to Build White House Ballroom. January 23, 2026, https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/judge-questions-trump-authority-to-build-white-house-ballroom. Access date: 12 February 2026.

“NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORICAL PRESERVATION IN THE UNITED STATES – NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, 1:25-Cv-04316 – CourtListener.Com.” Court Audience, https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72028010/national-trust-for-historic-preservation-in-the-united-states-v-national/. Access date: 12 February 2026.

National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States – National Park Service 1:25-Cv-04316 (DDC) | Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse. https://clearinghouse.net/case/47494/. Access date: 12 February 2026.

Rascouet-Paz, Anna. “Did Trump Destroy the Entire East Wing of the White House?” Snopes, October 23, 2025, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/trump-east-wing-white-house/. Access date: 12 February 2026.

Scarcella, Mike. “White House Faces Skeptical Judge in Trump Ballroom Case.” Reuters, January 23, 2026. Case. www.reuters.com, https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/us-judge-weighs-bid-halt-trumps-white-house-ballroom-2026-01-22/. Access date: 12 February 2026.

“Addendum Memorandum – NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORICAL PRESERVATION IN THE UNITED STATES – NATIONAL PARK SERVICE (DDC, 1:25-Cv-04316) – CourtListener.Com.” Court Audience, https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72028010/30/national-trust-for-historic-preservation-in-the-united-states-v-national/. Access date: 12 February 2026.

“These Are the 37 Donors Who Helped Pay for Trump’s $300 Million White House Ballroom.” AP News, 12 November 2025, https://apnews.com/article/donors-to-trump-white-house-ballroom-d4dd174eeb30ac244354a5a25551a86b. Access date: 12 February 2026.