The National Trust for Historic Preservation has filed a federal lawsuit against President Donald Trump and multiple U.S. government agencies to block the construction of a major new ballroom at the White House, asserting that the project violated longstanding preservation and planning laws.

The complaint, lodged on December twelve in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, challenges the demolition of the historic East Wing and the ongoing work to erect a ninety-thousand-square-foot ballroom — a project estimated to cost around three hundred million dollars — without required reviews, public consultation or explicit authorisation from Congress.

In its seventy-page filing, the National Trust argues that no president can legally destroy or substantially alter portions of the White House complex without first securing environmental, architectural and historic reviews by oversight bodies such as the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts, and without allowing for public comment as mandated under the Administrative Procedure Act and the National Environmental Policy Act.

The lawsuit seeks a temporary restraining order to halt construction while the courts consider the merits of the case.

The Trump administration maintains that the president has full authority to modernise and renovate the White House grounds, pointing to historical precedent for changes by past administrations and dismissing the need for external approvals before or during construction.

A White House spokesman reiterated that Trump’s actions fall within his legal purview to “modernise, renovate and beautify” the executive residence.

Trump has been advancing the ballroom project since earlier in his term, viewing it as an enhancement to the White House’s capacity to host large official events.

Preservation advocates contend that the process has sidestepped essential legal safeguards designed to protect national heritage.

The National Trust emphasises that the White House is a symbol of American history and governance whose changes warrant transparency and broad public engagement.

The case, assigned to a U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, will test the constitutional and statutory limits of presidential authority over federally owned historic property.

A hearing on the Trust’s request for injunctive relief is scheduled to occur in the coming days as both sides prepare to present their legal arguments.