View debris from the East Wing removed outside the White House during demolition
Workers continued to remove the remains of the East Wing of the White House after President Trump announced plans to build a banquet hall in its place.
A federal judge will decide the fate of the “beautiful and spectacular” White House ballroom envisioned by President Donald Trump on Jan. 22, who is considering a lawsuit by preservation groups to halt construction on the $400 million project.
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in Washington, D.C., will hold a hearing on a December lawsuit filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation against Trump and several federal agencies. The group claims the project has not consulted with regulators, completed a proper environmental assessment or sought approval from Congress.
After the White House announced the project in July, the sudden and complete demolition of the east wing to make way for the ballroom in October surprised many., It has raised concerns from critics, preservationists and a handful of former residents, including former first lady Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton.
Carol Quillen, president of the National Trust for Preservation, said Trump’s project would be 90,000 square feet of new construction and “will dwarf the White House itself” at 55,000 square feet, adding that “(the addition) could permanently disrupt the White House’s carefully balanced classical design with its two small, low east and west wings.”
The Trump administration is asking the court to deny a preliminary injunction halting construction while the lawsuit continues.
Initial site excavation and other construction work on the 90,000-square-foot ballroom is already underway, and President Trump hopes to have it ready by January 2029.
Demolition of the East Tower is not protected by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, which requires a review of projects that affect most historic buildings, although the White House, Supreme Court building and Capitol Hill are explicitly exempted.
The White House argued that the National Capital Planning Commission, the federal government’s central planning agency since 1952, has no jurisdiction over the demolition of federal buildings, only the construction of them.
U.S. Secret Service Deputy Director Matthew Quinn said in court papers supporting the Trump administration that the Secret Service’s ability to protect the president, the presidential family, and White House facilities will be “impeded” until the remaining work is completed.
Earlier this month, the National Capital Planning Commission held its first public hearing on the banquet hall plan submitted by the White House in December.
On March 5, NCPC members are scheduled to vote on the project. An online portal for the public to register to speak is scheduled to open on February 12, according to recently filed court documents. USA TODAY first reported on the filing.
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is USA TODAY’s White House correspondent. You can follow her at X @SwapnaVenugopal.
