Federal Preservation Group Sues Trump Over $300m White House Ballroom Project
In a federal lawsuit filed late Friday, the National Trust for Historic Preservation is seeking to halt construction on a proposed $300 million ballroom at the White House. The historic preservation group claims that President Donald Trump's administration has violated multiple federal laws by tearing down part of the iconic building without required reviews or congressional approval.
According to the complaint, which was filed in US district court for the District of Columbia, no president is legally allowed to destroy portions of the White House without review, let alone construct a new structure on public property without public input. The organization argues that Trump's administration rushed demolition of the historic East Wing in October over objections from preservationists who urged the White House to pause and submit plans for federal review.
The lawsuit names Trump and several administration officials as defendants, alleging violations of the national capital planning act, the national environmental policy act, and the constitution's property clause. The group is seeking a temporary restraining order to freeze all construction activities until proper federal oversight procedures are completed.
Historic preservationists point out that significant public opposition to the ballroom project has been evident in multiple polls, with over half of Americans opposing the destruction of the East Wing for the new structure. The $300 million project has been funded by wealthy donors and large corporations with federal government contracts, including Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, Lockheed Martin, and Palantir Technologies.
Administration officials have attempted to draw a distinction between construction on White House grounds, which they acknowledge requires federal review, versus demolition and site preparation, which they claim does not. However, the National Trust argues that this distinction is meaningless, as massive construction machinery and teams working regularly on site have been visible across social media.
The lawsuit marks the second legal challenge to the ballroom project, following an emergency motion by a Virginia couple that was dismissed in October. Trump's administration has characterized criticism from preservation groups as "loser Democrats" and "liberal donors."
In a federal lawsuit filed late Friday, the National Trust for Historic Preservation is seeking to halt construction on a proposed $300 million ballroom at the White House. The historic preservation group claims that President Donald Trump's administration has violated multiple federal laws by tearing down part of the iconic building without required reviews or congressional approval.
According to the complaint, which was filed in US district court for the District of Columbia, no president is legally allowed to destroy portions of the White House without review, let alone construct a new structure on public property without public input. The organization argues that Trump's administration rushed demolition of the historic East Wing in October over objections from preservationists who urged the White House to pause and submit plans for federal review.
The lawsuit names Trump and several administration officials as defendants, alleging violations of the national capital planning act, the national environmental policy act, and the constitution's property clause. The group is seeking a temporary restraining order to freeze all construction activities until proper federal oversight procedures are completed.
Historic preservationists point out that significant public opposition to the ballroom project has been evident in multiple polls, with over half of Americans opposing the destruction of the East Wing for the new structure. The $300 million project has been funded by wealthy donors and large corporations with federal government contracts, including Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, Lockheed Martin, and Palantir Technologies.
Administration officials have attempted to draw a distinction between construction on White House grounds, which they acknowledge requires federal review, versus demolition and site preparation, which they claim does not. However, the National Trust argues that this distinction is meaningless, as massive construction machinery and teams working regularly on site have been visible across social media.
The lawsuit marks the second legal challenge to the ballroom project, following an emergency motion by a Virginia couple that was dismissed in October. Trump's administration has characterized criticism from preservation groups as "loser Democrats" and "liberal donors."
, can't believe what's going down at the White House!!! I mean, come on, $300 million for some fancy ballroom? It's like, priorities, folks! 
The fact that they're trying to sweep this under the rug and call it "demolition" is ridiculous 
. I'm all for updates and renovations, but not at the expense of history 
. And can we talk about the lack of transparency? It's like they're expecting us to just blindly trust them on this one 
. Not buying it 
. The National Trust is totally right to take them to court 
. Let's hope they win and put a stop to this project ASAP 
.
. I mean, I can see why preservationists would wanna protect the historic East Wing, but $300 million is a lotta dough 
. And it's not like they're tearin' down the whole White House, just a small part of it 
.
. They must be really passionate about this project to wanna shell out that kind of cash 
.
. The preservationists are all about savin' the historic East Wing, but the President and his team are all about buildin' somethin' new 
. Can't they just find a way to compromise 
?
. And now they're trying to justify it by saying demolition and site prep don't need review? Give me a break 
. This whole thing reeks of crony capitalism 
.
. I mean, can't he see that people are literally OUTRAGED over this project?!? And it's not just preservationists, it's AMERICANS IN GENERAL 
. Like, 50% of the country is against this and they're still going through with it? It's just not right 
. I'm all for progress and modernization, but not at the expense of history and our national landmarks 
. Something needs to be done about this ASAP 
.
. Can we please just get some transparency and accountability around this project? The public should know who's funding it and why 
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is on point, you feel? They're not just talking about preserving the East Wing, they're talking about violating federal laws and disrespecting public opinion. 
300 million bucks is a small price to pay for cultural heritage, if you ask me. 
. Can we just preserve our history for once? 
can you believe this?! 
and to think they're doing it behind people's backs without even consulting them... it's just not right. I mean, what about all those Americans who are actually paying taxes for that historic building?! 
. seriously though, can't we just leave the White House alone? it's already a historical landmark, do we really need some fancy-schmancy ballroom in there? and who are these wealthy donors and corps funding this project? seems like a bunch of crony capitalism to me 
. The fact that this project has been funded by wealthy donors and corporations with federal government contracts only adds to the perception of a conflict of interest.
. This lawsuit may be a crucial step towards ensuring that future presidents follow the same protocols as their predecessors, rather than engaging in reckless and undemocratic actions 
i mean come on, half of americans are against this project, that says a lot! 
It's just some empty space being utilized for a good cause... plus, if ppl are so against it, maybe they should've spoken up sooner? 
. They're fighting for something that's truly important – our cultural heritage. Let's hope they win this thing and save the White House from some crazy makeover