US Heritage Organisation Presses Ahead with Ballroom Lawsuit Despite Trump Administration Pressure

A US heritage organisation has confirmed that it will proceed with a lawsuit which seeks to block the construction of President Donald Trump’s new White House ballroom, despite renewed pressure from the Department of Justice to drop the action.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a case in December 2025 which described the proposed new development as “unlawful”. The organisation doubled down on this assertion yesterday, after Trump and other administration officials seized on Saturday’s shooting during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner at the Washington Hilton hotel to argue again for the creation of the $400 million USD (£297 million) “safe space”. 

A letter from the Trust’s attorney, addressed to US assistant attorney general Brett Shumate, read: “What Saturday’s awful event does not change is that the Constitution and multiple federal statutes require Congress to authorise construction of a ballroom on White House grounds, and that Congress has not done so.”

The Trust’s action argues that the US government has not received legally mandated congressional approval for the development, and that it did not receive public approval before demolishing the White House’s East Wing to make way for the 8,360 sq m (90,000 sq ft) venue.

“Major issues” with ballroom’s size

Various individuals and preservation groups have raised concerns about President Trump’s plans and their impact on a building of both historical and architectural importance.

In March, the Society of Architectural Historians sent a letter to the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC)—the organisation responsible for approving plans for the new ballroom—in which it highlighted “major issues” with the building’s proposed size, scale and architectural details.

Later the same month, at a public meeting hosted by the NCPC, Wendy Evans Joseph, president of the National Academy of Design, described architecture as a “creative act that should not be used as propaganda”.

David Scott Parker, an architect and board member at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, told Ocula that the design of the White House carries a “tremendous historic weight” for the people of America.

“The grossly inflated, oversized ballroom would desecrate key elements intended by America’s founding fathers—urbanistically, architecturally, and symbolically,” he said.

“It will be three times the volume of the historic White House, overwhelming the scale while destroying its axial connection with the Capitol. The massive ballroom will quite literally be an imposition between two branches of our government.”

Attorney General brands lawsuit “dangerous”

On Sunday night, acting US attorney general Todd Blanche shared a letter on X, in which he branded the Trust’s litigation “frivolous”, “unnecessary” and “dangerous”.

He wrote: “Yesterday’s assassination attempt on President Trump proves, yet again, that the White House ballroom is essential for the safety and security of the president, his family, his cabinet and his staff.

“...The White House ballroom will ensure the safety and security of the president for decades to come and prevent future assassination attempts on the president at the Washington Hilton.

“Put simply, your lawsuit puts the lives of the president, his family, and his staff at grave risk. I hope yesterday’s narrow miss will help you finally realise the folly of a lawsuit that literally serves no purpose except to stop President Trump, no matter the cost.”

Heritage organisation hits back

However, the Trust’s legal team yesterday pushed back against these claims, asserting that “nothing in this lawsuit puts the personal safety of the president, his family, or his staff in any jeopardy”.

Its letter continued: “Your assertion that this lawsuit puts the president’s life at ‘grave risk’ is incorrect and irresponsible. Simply put, this case does not jeopardise the president’s safety in any way.

“And nothing prevents you from asking Congress at any time for the necessary authorisation required by the Constitution and federal law.”

Renewed pressure on the Trust comes after statements made by President Trump in the hours after the incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday, during which a Secret Service agent was shot but not seriously wounded. The alleged shooter, identified by law enforcement as Cole Tomas Allen, has been charged with three federal crimes, including attempting to assassinate the president.

Trump backs “drone-proof” ballroom

Speaking at a press conference later the same evening, the president said: “I didn’t want to say this, but this is why we have to have all of the attributes of what we’re planning at the White House.

“It’s actually a larger room, and it’s much more secure. It’s got— It’s drone-proof, it’s bulletproof glass.”

The following morning President Trump took to his social media platform Truth Social to reiterate the need for his ballroom plans to move ahead, stating that the shooting “would never have happened with the Militarily Top Secret Ballroom currently under construction at the White House”.

In March, the Trust’s lawsuit led to a temporary pause in the ballroom’s construction. However, earlier this month, following approval from the NCPC, a judge permitted work to resume.

In a statement issued yesterday, Carol Quillen, president and chief executive of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said the organisation acknowledges the utility of a larger meeting space at the White House, but called again for President Trump’s administration to seek the lawful approval of Congress for the project.

She said: “We are not planning to voluntarily dismiss our lawsuit, which endangers no one and which respectfully asks the Administration to follow the law.”

The case’s next hearing is expected to take place on 5 June, when the court of appeals will hear further arguments.