On Friday, December 12, 2025, the National Trust for Historic Preservation—a nonprofit organization chartered by Congress—filed a landmark lawsuit against President Donald Trump and several federal agencies, seeking to halt the construction of a massive new White House ballroom. The legal action comes after the demolition of the historic East Wing and the commencement of work on a 90,000-square-foot addition, a project that has stirred controversy among preservationists, architects, and political observers alike.
The National Trust’s lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, argues that the Trump administration sidestepped a host of legally mandated processes. According to the complaint, the White House failed to seek comprehensive design reviews, environmental assessments, public comment periods, and—crucially—did not obtain congressional authorization before razing the East Wing and starting construction on the ballroom. As the Trust put it in the lawsuit, "No president is legally allowed to tear down portions of the White House without any review whatsoever—not President Trump, not President Joe Biden, and not anyone else." (BBC)
The group’s president, Carol Quillen, underscored the symbolic and historic importance of the White House, stating, "The White House is arguably the most evocative building in our country and a globally recognized symbol of our powerful American ideals. As the organization charged with protecting places where our history happened, the National Trust was compelled to file this case." (CNN)
The ballroom project, which Trump has described as "much needed and exquisite," is funded by private money, including the president’s own contributions. Since announcing the ambitious plan, Trump has repeatedly lamented the lack of a suitable indoor venue for large events at the White House, often noting that the East Room and State Dining Room are too small for grand gatherings. According to the Associated Press, Trump has complained that guests have had to brave the elements under outdoor tents, sometimes getting their feet wet if it rained.
The scale of the new addition is striking: the ballroom will be nearly twice the size of the White House prior to the East Wing’s demolition, with its capacity ballooning from an initial 500 guests to a staggering 1,350. Construction has transformed the White House grounds into what the lawsuit describes as "a bustling construction site, with dozens of workers driving piles, stockpiling materials, and amassing heavy machinery." (BBC) As of last week, a towering construction crane had been erected, and Trump reportedly recounted that work on the ballroom was audible throughout the night.
Despite the magnitude of the project, the Trust alleges that the administration has ignored multiple attempts to engage in dialogue about legal compliance. In October 2025, after demolition of the East Wing had already begun, the Trust sent letters to the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), the Commission of Fine Arts, the National Park Service, and other relevant agencies, urging an immediate halt to the project and calling for adherence to federal law. "The National Trust received no response," the lawsuit states. (Associated Press)
By bypassing the usual federal building practices and historical reviews, the administration has, according to the Trust, violated the Administrative Procedures Act and the National Environmental Policy Act, while also exceeding constitutional authority by not consulting Congress. The Trust’s complaint points to a federal statute that reads: "A building or structure shall not be erected on any reservation, park, or public grounds of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia without express authority of Congress." (Associated Press)
The lawsuit is the most significant legal effort to date aimed at stopping or altering the president’s plans for the White House. It seeks a court order to halt all further work on the ballroom until the required independent reviews are completed, environmental assessments are conducted, public comments are solicited, and Congress debates and ratifies the project. The Trust also wants the court to declare that Trump’s fast-tracking of the project constitutes multiple legal violations.
Asked about the lawsuit, White House spokesman David Ingle responded with a broad assertion: "President Trump has full legal authority to modernize, renovate, and beautify the White House—just like all of his predecessors did." (CNBC) Ingle did not address whether the president would consult Congress at any point. The White House maintains that every president has made changes to the building, but critics note that Trump’s project is the most sweeping since President Harry Truman’s post-war gut renovation, which was undertaken with explicit congressional approval, consultation with professional societies, and oversight by a bipartisan commission.
Meanwhile, the White House is expected to submit plans for the new ballroom to the NCPC before the end of 2025—about three months after construction began. Will Scharf, who serves as both chairman of the NCPC and one of Trump’s top aides, told the commission at a recent meeting that the plans would be filed in December. "Once plans are submitted, that’s really when the role of this commission, and its professional staff, will begin," Scharf said, promising a "normal and deliberative pace" for the review. (Associated Press) However, the Trust contends that this process is not only too late but also insufficient, as federal law requires that plans be submitted to both the NCPC and the Commission of Fine Arts, and that Congress be consulted before any action is taken.
The lawsuit names as defendants President Trump, the National Park Service, the Department of the Interior, the General Services Administration, and the heads of those agencies. Judge Richard Leon has been assigned to the case and has already set a hearing for Tuesday, December 16, 2025, on the Trust’s motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction that would block further development on the ballroom. (CNBC)
In the midst of legal wrangling, the ballroom project has continued to evolve. The White House recently replaced the lead architect after reported clashes over the size and scope of the addition. Trump, speaking at the Congressional Ball on December 11, 2025, vowed, "You know, for 150 years, they've been trying to do a ballroom. They never got it up, but we got it off. In a very short period of time, like about a year and a half, you're going to have the best ballroom anywhere in the country." (BBC)
As the case moves forward, it has become a flashpoint in the ongoing debate over presidential power, historic preservation, and the stewardship of America’s most iconic residence. While the White House insists it is acting within its rights, preservationists and legal experts warn that the outcome could set a precedent for how future changes to the nation’s most storied buildings are reviewed and approved.
With the East Wing already gone and heavy machinery at work, the fate of the White House ballroom—and the process by which such monumental changes are made—now rests in the hands of the federal courts.
