UPDATE: Key Commission Gives President Trump FINAL APPROVAL for White House Ballroom Plans

In a huge blow to the left, a key commission just granted President Trump final, full approval for his White House ballroom plans!

This comes a few days after an activist judge halted construction on the project until Congress approves it.

If you missed it, here’s our original report on that:

BREAKING: President Trump Responds After Judge HALTS White House Ballroom Construction

The National Capital Planning Commission overwhelmingly approved the plans in an 8-1 vote on Thursday.

Here are the details:

🚨 BREAKING: The National Capital Planning Commission just gave FINAL, FULL APPROVAL to President Trump's White House ballroom, after a judge halted construction

Full-steam ahead!

The judge will LOSE in court and Trump is going to complete this with $0 taxpayer funds

Trump… pic.twitter.com/KlcGG1zEHD

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 2, 2026

BREAKING: The National Capital Planning Commission just gave FINAL, FULL APPROVAL to President Trump’s White House ballroom, after a judge halted construction

Full-steam ahead!

The judge will LOSE in court and Trump is going to complete this with $0 taxpayer funds

Trump RIPPED the organization suing him earlier this week, saying the ballroom is ahead of schedule and under budget

Even Sen. Rand Paul, who is on the commission, voted in favor of President Trump here!

Per The Hill:

Eight members of the nine-member panel decided to advance plans for the 90,000-square-foot ballroom, which is designed to seat 1,000 guests and replace the outdoor tents typically used for large state events.

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Phil Mendelson, chair of the Council of the District of Columbia, cast the lone “no” vote, explaining that he felt the proposed space was too large.

“It’s just — I’m trying to be nice here — it’s just too large,” Mendelson said. “It’s just too large. And if we can get the same program but not as tall, not competing in height with the main structure, and a condensed footprint, we are better for that.”

Mendelson also expressed that he thought the commission should be looking at the renovations Trump wants to make to the White House grounds now or in the future holistically.

In response to the vote, President Trump gave some very rare praise to Sen. Paul.

Read his full Truth Social statement here:

Full text:

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. 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! President DONALD J. TRUMP

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While this is a big win, it unfortunately does not override the judge’s order.

President Trump will still have to appeal the ruling and win the fight!

CNBC explained further:

The National Capital Planning Commission, the agency tasked with approving construction on federal property in the Washington region, went ahead with the vote because U.S. District Judge Richard Leon’s ruling on Tuesday affects construction activities, not the planning process, commission spokesperson Stephen Staudigl said.

But despite the agency’s approval, the judge’s ruling and the legal fight over the ballroom could stall progress on a legacy project that Trump is racing to see completed before the end of his term in early 2029. It’s among a series of changes the Republican president is planning for the nation’s capital to leave his lasting imprint while he’s still in office.

The vote by the 12-person commission, including three members appointed by Trump, had initially been scheduled for March but was pushed to Thursday because so many people signed up to comment on it at the commission’s meeting. The comments were overwhelmingly opposed to the ballroom.