A federal judge in Washington said Tuesday he is unlikely to order the Trump administration to immediately halt work on a planned $300 million White House ballroom, as he considered a lawsuit alleging the project exceeds presidential authority.
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon made the comments during a hearing on a request by the National Trust for Historic Preservation for a temporary restraining order to stop construction at the site of the former East Wing. The group’s lawsuit accuses President Donald Trump and federal agencies of beginning the 90,000-square-foot project without required legal reviews or approvals.
Trump has made significant changes to the White House since returning to office in January, including installing gold-colored decorations in the Oval Office and paving over the Rose Garden lawn to create a patio modeled after his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. The proposed ballroom would be far larger than those alterations.
Images of heavy machinery demolishing the White House’s 120-year-old East Wing drew criticism from preservation advocates, who say the administration moved forward without proper oversight. The lawsuit argues that no president is permitted to remove parts of the White House without legal review and claims the project has already caused irreversible damage to the historic site.
The administration said in court filings Monday that the project is lawful and consistent with past presidential renovations, noting that President Franklin D. Roosevelt oversaw the construction of the East Wing. It said the ballroom is needed for state functions, its design is still being developed, and no above-ground construction is planned until April, making an emergency order unnecessary.
“The president possesses statutory authority to modify the structure of his residence,” the filing said, adding that the authority is supported by executive power.
The National Trust said the administration failed to seek public input and did not consult required advisory bodies, including the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts. The group said it filed suit to force compliance with procedural requirements intended to protect public participation in decisions affecting the White House.
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