US President Donald Trump‘s bold vision to expand the White House with a grand ballroom has sparked a high-stakes legal battle, as the National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a federal lawsuit on Friday, seeking to halt construction.
The non-profit has claimed the administration illegally demolished parts of the East Wing in October, launching work on a 90,000-square-foot venue without required federal reviews or congressional approval, according to BBC.
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle fired back, calling the lawsuit “political games by loser Democrats,” and asserting full executive authority over grounds exempt from preservation rules.
Preservation pushback
The complaint demands an injunction to freeze work until public input, agency reviews, and Congress greenlights changes on Washington DC’s public land.
Critics have warned of permanent harm to historic elements, potentially eroding safeguards for future administrations, while supporters view it as decisive leadership reclaiming grandeur.
Legal violations alleged
Filed in US District Court for the District of Columbia, the suit accuses Trump of breaching the National Historic Preservation Act by skipping consultations with historic agencies, the National Environmental Policy Act for lacking environmental impact studies, the National Capital Planning Act by not submitting plans, and the Administrative Procedure Act through arbitrary actions.
The Trust sent repeated pleas to delay demolition, but officials ignored them. Preservationists stress that the White House, meticulously restored by Jacqueline Kennedy in the 1960s, demands such protections, no president can alter it unilaterally, according to New York Times.
Trump’s opulent ambition
The $300 million project promises marble floors, crystal chandeliers, and capacity for 1,000 guests at state dinners and galas, aiming to eclipse European palaces like Versailles. Trump, fresh from his January inauguration, champions it as vital modernization for the “neglected” residence, drawing parallels to Truman’s 1950s balcony addition and Nixon’s expansions, according to CNN.