Work continues on the construction of the ballroom at the White House, Tuesday, Dec., 9, 2025, in Washington, where the East Wing once stood. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration argued in a court filing Monday that construction of President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom must continue due to national security concerns and because the preservationist group challenging the project lacks legal standing.
The filing responds to a lawsuit filed last Friday by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which asked a federal judge to pause the project until it undergoes independent reviews, a public comment period, and Congressional approval.
In the administration’s 36-page filing, Matthew C. Quinn, deputy director of the U.S. Secret Service, said additional work is required at the site of the former East Wing to meet the agency’s “safety and security requirements.” Quinn did not detail the specific national security risks in the filing but offered to provide classified information to the judge in a private, in-person briefing without the plaintiffs present.
The East Wing had been situated above an emergency operations bunker for the president. Quinn warned that even a temporary halt to construction could “hamper” the Secret Service’s ability to fulfill its protective mission.
A hearing in the case is scheduled for Tuesday in federal court in Washington.
The administration’s filing offers the most detailed public account yet of the ballroom project, including how it was rapidly approved and its expanding scope. Officials noted that final plans for the ballroom are still being finalized even as demolition and site preparation continue. John Stanwich, the National Park Service’s liaison to the White House, wrote that below-ground work is ongoing, with foundation construction expected to begin in January. Above-ground construction is “not anticipated to begin until April 2026, at the earliest.”
The National Trust for Historic Preservation did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The group’s lawsuit argues that no president has the legal authority to demolish portions of the White House or build a new ballroom without public review and approval.
President Trump began demolishing the East Wing in October as part of his plan to construct a 90,000-square-foot, $300 million ballroom capable of hosting roughly 1,000 guests. He has said previous presidents wanted a larger event space and that the new ballroom would eliminate the need for temporary pavilions on the White House grounds for large events.
The Trust contends that the project should have been submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission, the Commission of Fine Arts, and Congress before any demolition began. The lawsuit notes that the Trust contacted those bodies and the National Park Service on October 21—after demolition had started—requesting a halt to the project, but received no response.
The administration’s filing argues that the president has broad authority to modify the White House and highlighted the extensive history of changes and additions to the Executive Mansion over the past 200 years. DOJ attorneys also contended that the plaintiffs’ claims about the East Wing demolition are “moot” because it cannot be undone, and that claims about future construction are “unripe” since final plans have not been submitted.
The administration further argued that the Trust cannot show “irreparable harm” because above-ground construction is not expected until spring and reviews with the planning and fine arts commissions “will soon be underway without this Court’s involvement.”
Trump’s ballroom project has drawn criticism from historic preservationists, architects, and political opponents, but the lawsuit represents the most concrete attempt yet to challenge his plans for an addition nearly twice the size of the former East Wing. The administration noted that a 2000 National Park Service plan first identified the need for a larger event space to accommodate growing visitor numbers and major events.