The construction of a new White House ballroom and underground bunker remains ongoing after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia issued an administrative stay on a recent court order that halted most above-ground work. The next hearing is scheduled for June 5, suggesting construction will proceed at least until then. Earlier, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon temporarily blocked the ballroom's construction, citing national security concerns, while permitting underground work to proceed. The Justice Department appealed this ruling, emphasizing the importance of the project for presidential security.

President Donald Trump criticized the initial ruling, calling it a political overreach and emphasizing the security significance of the project. He stressed that the above-ground section is essential and dismissed claims that the underground bunker alone would suffice. Trump's plans for a privately funded White House ballroom surfaced last summer, with the East Wing demolition in October, amid legal challenges including a lawsuit from the National Trust for Historical Preservation to prevent the new East Wing's construction.