A $300 million plan to add a ballroom to the White House has triggered a federal lawsuit and intensified scrutiny of President Donald Trump's approach to renovating the historic complex, after preservationists alleged that demolition began without required reviews and as project costs ballooned and architects were replaced. The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia seeking to halt the work.
The complaint centers on the October demolition of the 123-year-old East Wing, which the trust says occurred without environmental assessments or consultation with the federal bodies that oversee changes to nationally significant properties. "No president is legally allowed to tear down portions of the White House without any review whatsoever - not President Trump, not President Biden, and not anyone else," the lawsuit states.
The legal challenge follows months of internal upheaval on the project, including the dismissal of the president's initial architect after disputes over the ballroom's scale. James McCrery II, a classical architect selected by Trump, warned that the proposed addition risked overwhelming the main mansion. He was replaced by Washington architect Shalom Baranes, whose firm has extensive experience with federal projects.
Costs have escalated sharply. What Trump initially described as a $200 million project has grown to at least $300 million, with some White House officials privately acknowledging totals could reach $350 million. The proposed ballroom would span roughly 90,000 square feet, nearly twice the size of the White House's 55,000-square-foot main residence.
The White House has said Trump and "other patriot donors" would cover the cost. A donation list released in October includes several large corporations that also maintain significant regulatory or contractual relationships with the federal government, fueling ethics questions as the project advances.
Oversight of the renovation has also come under fire. Will Scharf, whom Trump appointed as chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission while also serving as White House staff secretary, said the commission lacked jurisdiction over demolition and only reviewed "vertical construction." The trust disputes that claim, arguing that plans for new construction necessarily include demolition and therefore require review.
Trump has also reshaped other oversight bodies. In October, his administration fired all six members of the Commission of Fine Arts, the independent agency charged with advising on design and aesthetics in Washington, replacing them with appointees critics say are unlikely to challenge the project.
The lawsuit names Trump alongside the National Park Service, the Department of the Interior and the General Services Administration, alleging violations of the Administrative Procedure Act, the National Environmental Policy Act and constitutional requirements for congressional approval of federal construction projects.
