Overview
- The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a federal lawsuit on December 12 seeking an injunction to stop ongoing work on President Trump’s planned White House ballroom.
- The complaint alleges demolition and construction moved forward without congressional authorization or required review by federal commissions, including a public hearing phase.
- According to the filing, the East Wing and its colonnade were razed within days after work began during a government shutdown when agencies were largely inactive.
- Plans described in coverage envision a neoclassical hall of about 8,000 square meters costing roughly $300 million with seating for around 1,000 guests and completion targeted before the end of the term.
- The case is pending in U.S. district court with no ruling yet on a requested halt, and the Trust cites its 1949 congressional charter as it presses the oversight claims.