Story perspectives

DOJ Urges Trust to Drop Ballroom Suit, Halts Above-Ground Work

4/28/2026

Summary

Story summary

The Justice Department sent a letter urging the National Trust for Historic Preservation to drop its lawsuit over President Donald Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche warned that if the suit is not dropped by 9:00 a.m. Monday, the government will seek a court order to dissolve the injunction.
A federal judge blocked above-ground construction while permitting below-ground work to continue through June 5 as the dispute proceeds.

History

Historical Context

In 1965 Mayor Robert F. Wagner Jr. enacted New York City’s Landmarks Law after the 1963 demolition of Pennsylvania Station. The Supreme Court upheld the law in the 1978 Penn Central Transportation Co. v. New York City case, rejecting a taking claim over Grand Central Terminal. The Justice Department urges the National Trust for Historic Preservation to drop its White House ballroom lawsuit, reviving the preservation-government clash.

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Story summary

The Justice Department sent a letter urging the National Trust for Historic Preservation to drop its lawsuit over President Donald Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche warned that if the suit is not dropped by 9:00 a.m. Monday, the government will seek a court order to dissolve the injunction.
A federal judge blocked above-ground construction while permitting below-ground work to continue through June 5 as the dispute proceeds.

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