Name: Trump administration sued over White House ballroom plan
Uploaded: 2025-12-16T18:59:43.637Z
Duration: 2 min 59 s
Description: The U.S. National Trust for Historic Preservation has filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump and his administration in an effort to block construction of his planned ballroom where the East Wing of the White House once stood.

The U.S. National Trust for Historic Preservation has filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump and his administration in an effort to block construction of his planned ballroom where the East Wing of the White House once stood.

Washington

The Trump administration is contesting a lawsuit filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which seeks to halt the construction of a new 90,000-square-foot ballroom at the White House. The non-profit argues that the project was fast-tracked without appropriate public review and that no president has the authority to make such changes unilaterally.

The White House defends the renovation, citing unspecified national security concerns and stating that stopping the project would hinder the Secret Service's mandate. Demolition of the East Wing has already begun, and a court hearing is scheduled to determine the future of the case. The National Trust has expressed willingness to collaborate on a design more in line with the White House's historic character.

Trump administration sued over White House ballroom plan

The Trump administration is pushing back against a lawsuit that seeks to block Donald Trump's plans to renovate the White House ballroom. The suit was filed by a U.S. non-profit, and it claims the U.S. president does not have the authority to sign off on the project. A court hearing is scheduled for this afternoon that could determine the future of the case. Willie Lowry joins me now from Washington. Willie, walk us through how this argument even came about in the first place. Absolutely, Marianne. It's all part of this lawsuit filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, essentially asking a federal judge to stop the Trump administration's construction of that White House ballroom. Now, the administration filing papers yesterday, a hearing is scheduled for later today. The White House arguing that construction can't stop because it would pose an unspecified national security concern. In the 36-page filing, the deputy director of the U.S. Secret Service said even a temporary halt on the current site demolition would, quote, consequently hamper the agency's ability to carry out its mandate. Of course, demolition started back in October. The trust is arguing that the administration fast-tracked the process and didn't go through a proper review process. In its lawsuit, the trust said, quote, No president is legally allowed to tear down portions of the White House without any review whatsoever. Not President Trump, not President Biden, and not anyone else. And no president is legally allowed to construct a ballroom on public property without giving the public the opportunity to weigh in. What's at stake is essentially the future of that White House compound. But Willie, the East Wing has already been demolished. So what can really be accomplished at this point? That's right. It's essentially a gaping hole right now next to the White House. So something will have to replace what was the East Wing. President Trump has long argued that the White House was in desperate need of a large enough space to accommodate big groups of people. But the ballroom won't just be big. At 90,000 square feet, it will dwarf the current White House. Now, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a non-profit tasked by Congress to protect and preserve historic sites, says it would be open to working with the White House and other entities to ensure that the ballroom that does emerge is more in line with the White House while still meeting the administration's needs. Of course, that hearing is scheduled for sometime later today. What the Preservation Committee really wants to see is a ballroom more in line with the architectural style and scale of the current White House. All right, thanks so much for this, Willie. My pleasure.

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