Trump sued by preservation group over $300m White House ballroom project

Source: The Guardian

Fri 12 Dec 2025 15.22 EST
Last modified on Fri 12 Dec 2025 15.23 EST


Donald Trump is facing a federal lawsuit seeking to halt construction on his $300m White House ballroom, with historic preservationists accusing the president of violating multiple federal laws by tearing down part of the iconic building without required reviews or congressional approval.

The legal challenge, filed on Friday by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the US district court for the District of Columbia, represents the most significant attempt yet to stop Trump’s 90,000-sq-ft addition to the White House complex. The organization is seeking a temporary restraining order to freeze all construction activities until proper federal oversight procedures are completed.

“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,” the complaint reads. “And no president is legally allowed to construct a ballroom on public property without giving the public the opportunity to weigh in.”

The organization, which was chartered by Congress in 1949 to facilitate public participation in preserving sites of national significance, argues that Trump rushed demolition of the historic East Wing in October over objections from preservationists who urged the White House to pause and submit plans to federal review panels.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/12/lawsuit-trump-white-house-ballroom