By Damian Paletta

Good morning. If the Supreme Court doesn't rule by the end of Friday, construction officials could be forced to halt the building of President Trump's 90,000 square-foot White House ballroom.

That's because a two-week reprieve issued by an appeals court expires at midnight. We are nearly in uncharted waters now, all over a new building that will have chandeliers, bulletproof glass, a military hospital and a "drone port."

The massive new ballroom, financed at least in part through private donors, has been seen as a metaphor for many things during Trump 2.0. But it has emerged as one of the most fascinating tests of the power struggle between the executive and judicial branches this year.

The White House is moving quickly. The legal system can't keep up. And thus, the ballroom is nearly done despite several judges telling the White House to stop.

A federal judge in April ordered the White House to stop construction of the ballroom, but an appeals court allowed the construction to continue while it considered the case. That court earlier this month-again-ordered the construction to be halted, but-again-allowed the construction to continue for two weeks so that the White House could appeal the matter to the Supreme Court.

All the while, construction has only picked up speed. The White House most recently said construction was 65% done and that a huge crew was working 20 hours a day, seven days a week on the project, which Trump is extremely involved in.

So what is the Supreme Court to do? Tell them to stop a building that is so far along, and just...leave it as is? Knock it down? But if they allow it to be completed because so much work is under way anyway, does that incentivize this administration (and future ones) to outpace a slower moving legal system with any range of projects, both construction or policy?

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People and Policies I'm Watching

Michael Cohen: Trump has recorded a radio interview with his former lawyer, who gave evidence against him during a criminal case involving adult film star Stormy Daniels.

The American Bar Association: The Education Department is taking the first step toward removing the ABA's authority to accredit law schools.

Trump's Friday: The president will hold policy meetings this morning and afternoon, then depart for Myrtle Beach, S.C., to rally with Senate candidate Darline Graham.

What I'm Following

Lawmakers who were once supportive of data centers now rail against them. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott last year said he wanted the state to be the epicenter of AI development. Now the Republican has paused approval of new data centers over concerns about power and water use.

Are Jon Ossoff's Trump jabs a 2028 audition tape? The Democratic senator from Georgia is known in Washington as a moderate, but he has spent most of this year goading Trump. The White House has started to notice, and some in Ossoff's party see the 39-year-old as plausible candidate for president in 2028.

Don Trump Jr.'s 'anti-woke' Amazon is struggling. In 2023, the president' eldest son appeared at the New York Stock Exchange to celebrate the debut of PublicSquare, a little-known online marketplace founded as a MAGA alternative to Amazon. Its anti-Amazon business model collapsed after President Trump embraced the tech companies he had attacked on the campaign trail.

What Else Is Happening

A plane crash near a remote military radar site in Alaska killed eight people Thursday. The Air Force said the individuals involved were carrying out a vital mission in a demanding environment.

Kim Jong Un doesn't need a summit with Trump. Kim currently holds a strong position, with North Korea's economy growing, an expanding nuclear arsenal and stronger ties with Russia and China.

The federal government is sending more business SpaceX's way. This year SpaceX has secured billions of dollars' worth of government business to build and launch military satellites, and the Trump administration is allowing it to sidestep some wireless network requirements.

The U.S. begins deporting immigrants to Liberia. It's part of the White House's plan to send immigrants to third-party countries.

What I'm Reading

DeSantis Faces Heat for Outing Victim in Caruso Sex Case (Miami Herald)

Eric Swalwell Briefly Detained as Feds Seize His Phone at Airport (Los Angeles Times)

How AOC Could Win the Presidential Nomination (The Free Press)

This Week in Washington History

On this day in 1959, Hawaii became the 50th, and most recent, U.S. state.

About Me

I'm Damian Paletta, The Wall Street Journal's Washington coverage chief. I've covered Washington for 22 years as a reporter and editor. I've covered the White House, Congress, national security, the federal budget, economics and multiple market meltdowns. WSJ Politics brings you an expert guide to what's driving D.C., every weekday morning. Send your feedback to politics@wsj.com (if you're reading this in your inbox, you can just hit reply). This edition was curated and edited in collaboration with Alistair Dawber and Emily Martocci. Got a tip for us? Here's how to submit.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

August 21, 2026 06:48 ET (10:48 GMT)