"President Donald Trump and several administration officials were hit with a lawsuit Friday over the demolition of the White House’s East Wing to make way for a 90,000 square foot ballroom.

“No president is legally allowed to tear down portions of the White House without any review whatsoever,” the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States said in a complaint filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia.

The White House’s demolition of the East Wing in October to make way for the $300 million ballroom—the most significant change to the building’s exterior in decades—has faced criticism over the potential impacts to its preservation and environment. The administration’s plans to paint the Eisenhower Executive Office Building are also being challenged by preservationists.

White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said in a statement to Bloomberg Law that the president “has full legal authority to modernize, renovate, and beautify the White House—just like all of his predecessors did.”"

Mallory Culhane reports for Bloomberg Environment December 12, 2025.