Trump Administration Says Ballroom Is a Matter of National Security as Lawsuit Aims To Stop Construction

The Trump Administration fired back against a lawsuit trying to stop construction on the $300 million ballroom project.

In a Dec. 15 court filing, the Trump Administration says the plans for the 90,000-square-foot ballroom are a matter of "national security." It says the "sensitive and classified information that would be contained in
the declaration cannot be publicly filed or shared with opposing counsel without compromising
the interests of national security."

Rather, "it claims the project would cause 'no significant impact' to the surrounding environment and vowed that the White House would seek input from key agencies that review federal construction projects before above-ground work begins next year," ABC News reports.

The White House ballroom back-and-forth comes ahead of a hearing Tuesday to address a lawsuit aiming to stop construction.

In a lawsuit filed last week by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States, it argues, "No president is legally allowed to tear down portions of the White House without any review whatsoever."

The lawsuit goes on to say, "And no president is legally allowed to construct a ballroom on public property without giving the public the opportunity to weigh in. President Trump’s efforts to do so should be immediately halted, and work on the Ballroom Project should be paused until the Defendants complete the required reviews—reviews that should have taken place before the Defendants demolished the East Wing, and before they began construction of the Ballroom—and secure the necessary approvals."

Attorneys for the Justice Department argue that the White House has seen several additions, renovations, and alterations over the past two centuries by past residents of the executive mansion—and "the president has the legal authority to demolish the former East Wing and add a ballroom without seeking congressional or executive branch approval," according to ABC News.

The lawsuit also claims that the planned size of the ballroom is "already out of proportion to the rest of the White House' and appears to "increase substantially."

Construction showdown

The White House ballroom construction project started in October when demolition crews brought in heavy machinery and began tearing down the East Wing ballroom. The East Wing was built in 1902 and has been renovated and changed may times—adding a second story in 1942.

The ballroom demolition started right in the middle of a government shutdown with Trump insisting that he and private donors are funding the project.

The cost has ballooned from $200 million to $300 million, but the president says it's needed to host state dinners for a larger crowd. The former ballroom only sat about 200 people. The new ballroom is expected to hold nearly 1,000.

Earlier in December, President Donald Trump hired a new architect to oversee the design after reports say he clashed over the proposed size of the event space—which will be almost double the size of the White House.

White House officials confirmed Thursday that Trump has replaced James McCrery II, the man he handpicked to oversee the creation of the 90,000-square-foot addition, and his eponymous architecture firm, with Shalom Baranes, a designer who has previous experience working on government buildings.

CNN reports that "White House officials had grumbled in recent weeks" that the progress of the project was being hampered by the disagreement between Trump and McCrery, who is said to have voiced serious concerns that the finished ballroom would dwarf the 55,000-square-foot White House.

White House projects

This isn't President Trump's first major project since taking office for a second term on Jan. 20, 2025.

He gave the Rose Garden a redesign much to the dismay of critics who did not want an overhaul of the space that was installed in 1913 by first lady Ellen Louise Wilson, wife of President Woodrow Wilson.

The grassy space was one of the White House's most iconic areas made famous by the rose bushes that lined the landscaped lawn.

The Rose Garden's grassy space was paved over to make it safer and more convenient for people attending events—especially women wearing high heels.

Separate from the White House, the president revealed in October that he wants to build a new monument—an Arc de Triomphe-style arch near the Lincoln Memorial.