[REVISION HISTORY]

Trump White House renovation costs

Updated 6 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-08-07 19:50 UTC → 2026-08-07 21:02 UTC · added ~~removed~~

In late July a review estimated $300 million for a subterranean bunker within a $600 million East Wing modernization, funded roughly equally by federal agencies and private donors. By early August the scope broadened to a $400‑600 million ballroom complex that would incorporate the bunker, an underground emergency center, a medical facility and a planned DronePort, while a $13 million helipad on the South Lawn was dismantled. On 5 August 2026 a three‑judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued a 2‑1 decision upholding a preliminary injunction filed by District Judge Richard Leon and brought by the National Trust for Historic ~~Preservation, ordering the administration to halt above‑ground construction of the $400 million ballroom.~~ Preservation. The ~~court stressed~~ majority opinion, written by Judges Patricia Millett and Bradley Garcia, held that only Congress can authorize major alterations to the White House, ~~describing~~ rejecting the ~~president as a temporary tenant rather than an owner.~~ administration’s claim of executive authority; Judge Neomi Rao dissented. The order stayed for 14 days to allow an appeal to the Supreme Court and permitted only underground work, such as the bunker, to continue. ~~The appellate decision reinforced the injunction, confirming that above‑ground construction must remain paused while the administration seeks Supreme Court review.~~ President Donald Trump called the ruling “horrendous,” said the project is a national‑security necessity, and pledged to appeal.

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