Trump sued by preservationists seeking reviews and congressional approval for ballroom project

MarcusGregor · 2025-12-12T16:14:47-0600

Trump sued by preservationists seeking reviews and congressional approval for ballroom project

President Donald Trump has been sued by preservationists seeking an architecture review and congressional approval over his White House ballroom project.

apnews.com

President Donald Trump was sued on Friday by preservationists asking a federal court to halt his White House ballroom project until it goes through multiple independent reviews and wins approval from Congress.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded group, is asking the U.S. District Court to block Trump’s White House ballroom project, which already has involved razing the East Wing, until it goes through comprehensive design reviews, environmental assessments, public comments and congressional debate and ratification.

Trump’s project has prompted criticism in the historic preservation and architectural communities, and among his political adversaries, but the lawsuit is the most tangible effort thus far to alter or stop the president’s plans for an addition that itself would be nearly twice the size of the White House before the East Wing’s demolition.

He's really going about this all wrong. Like I said elsewhere I'm not even opposed to the ballroom on principle. He's just doing it all wrong. In just about every way.

GoldenBoy89 · 2025-12-12T16:40:50-0600

I just hope it remains unfinished for the rest of his term.

CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN · 2025-12-12T17:47:21-0600

To me it's to late. The damage has been done. They might as well finish the project.

ThatRobGuy · 2025-12-12T17:55:07-0600

The ballroom is yet another instance of focusing on some nonsense stuff instead of going after him for something of substance.

To be honest, I don't even have a big issue with putting in a ballroom... even though it's not my kind of "scene".

We're the premier world power, and when people come to DC for State dinners or large receptions or WH events, they had people sitting under tents and umbrellas like they asked for an outdoor table at the Cheesecake Factory.

"Ladies, Gentlemen, Heads of State, Ambassadors, we'd like to welcome you all to this gala affair, there's some bug spray by the salad bar if the mosquitos get too bad"

The US is something of an outlier in this regard.

Landon Caeli · 2025-12-12T18:57:18-0600

MarcusGregor said:
Trump sued by preservationists seeking reviews and congressional approval for ballroom project

President Donald Trump has been sued by preservationists seeking an architecture review and congressional approval over his White House ballroom project.

apnews.com

President Donald Trump was sued on Friday by preservationists asking a federal court to halt his White House ballroom project until it goes through multiple independent reviews and wins approval from Congress.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded group, is asking the U.S. District Court to block Trump’s White House ballroom project, which already has involved razing the East Wing, until it goes through comprehensive design reviews, environmental assessments, public comments and congressional debate and ratification.

Trump’s project has prompted criticism in the historic preservation and architectural communities, and among his political adversaries, but the lawsuit is the most tangible effort thus far to alter or stop the president’s plans for an addition that itself would be nearly twice the size of the White House before the East Wing’s demolition.

He's really going about this all wrong. Like I said elsewhere I'm not even opposed to the ballroom on principle. He's just doing it all wrong. In just about every way.

Hey I know, let's find out who the architect is, and go do stuff, like protest by his house. Then they'll know we're real serious.

comana · 2025-12-12T19:47:19-0600

ThatRobGuy said:
The ballroom is yet another instance of focusing on some nonsense stuff instead of going after him for something of substance.

To be honest, I don't even have a big issue with putting in a ballroom... even though it's not my kind of "scene".

We're the premier world power, and when people come to DC for State dinners or large receptions or WH events, they had people sitting under tents and umbrellas like they asked for an outdoor table at the Cheesecake Factory.

View attachment 374398

"Ladies, Gentlemen, Heads of State, Ambassadors, we'd like to welcome you all to this gala affair, there's some bug spray by the salad bar if the mosquitos get too bad"

The US is something of an outlier in this regard.

I don’t have a problem with a ballroom, but Trump wants an over the top design not fitting for DC architecture and more importantly, this project should not be privately funded to avoid billionaires and corporations buying influence.

ThatRobGuy · 2025-12-12T20:04:39-0600

comana said:
I don’t have a problem with a ballroom, but Trump wants an over the top design not fitting for DC architecture and more importantly, this project should not be privately funded to avoid billionaires and corporations buying influence.

Every ballroom is by most conventional definitions are "over the top"

The public vs. private funding conversation is just another "no-win trap".

If it was publicly funded, people would gripe about "look at what Trump is wasting your tax money on"...privately funded is "oh, it's rich people buying influence"

Keeping in mind that the head of state ballroom in Britain looks like this:

In France:

In Germany:

Japan:

To pretend that the "Trump-proposed" design is somehow uniquely tacky or a waste of money is silly.

Like I said, I'm by no means a "ballroom event" type of guy. Give me a steakhouse or craft brewery any night of the week.

But we can't pretend that this whole ballroom thing is "shocking and appalling".

BCP1928 · 2025-12-12T20:11:46-0600

ThatRobGuy said:
Every ballroom is by most conventional definitions are "over the top"

The public vs. private funding conversation is just another "no-win trap".

If it was publicly funded, people would gripe about "look at what Trump is wasting your tax money on"...privately funded is "oh, it's rich people buying influence"

Keeping in mind that the head of state ballroom in Britain looks like this:
View attachment 374403

In France:
View attachment 374404

In Germany:
View attachment 374405

Japan:
View attachment 374406

To pretend that the "Trump-proposed" design is somehow uniquely tacky or a waste of money is silly.

Like I said, I'm by no means a "ballroom event" type of guy. Give me a steakhouse or craft brewery any night of the week.

But we can't pretend that this whole ballroom thing is "shocking and appalling".

No, what's shocking and appalling is the ham-fisted way he's going about it.

comana · 2025-12-12T20:33:45-0600

BCP1928 said:
No, what's shocking and appalling is the ham-fisted way he's going about it.

Exactly. Demolition of the East wing without having an approved plan in place or even full funding.

Servus · 2025-12-12T20:40:38-0600

This is the usual let's slow down something getting done as much as possible.

SavedByGrace3 · 2025-12-13T02:22:26-0600

How many objected to the basketball court that Obama had built?
Nuff said...

7thKeeper · 2025-12-13T03:13:43-0600

SavedByGrace3 said:
How many objected to the basketball court that Obama had built?
Nuff said...

Was it lacking in planning or funding? You could at least attempt to make an oranges to oranges comparison.
Nuff said...

Stopped_lurking · 2025-12-13T04:02:02-0600

ThatRobGuy said:
Every ballroom is by most conventional definitions are "over the top"

The public vs. private funding conversation is just another "no-win trap".

If it was publicly funded, people would gripe about "look at what Trump is wasting your tax money on"...privately funded is "oh, it's rich people buying influence"

Keeping in mind that the head of state ballroom in Britain looks like this:
View attachment 374403

In France:
View attachment 374404

In Germany:
View attachment 374405

Japan:
View attachment 374406

To pretend that the "Trump-proposed" design is somehow uniquely tacky or a waste of money is silly.

Like I said, I'm by no means a "ballroom event" type of guy. Give me a steakhouse or craft brewery any night of the week.

But we can't pretend that this whole ballroom thing is "shocking and appalling".

It is tacky (even the historical examples are tacky IMO), that other countries have historical buildings that are preserved as "cultural memories" and are willing to pay for the upkeep doesn't mean that a new one isn't tacky. I think the one you say is german is actually from Prague. This is the Great hall in Schloss Bellevue. Rooms

IMO not as tacky.

To build a ballroom because others have it seems immature. Can't the US show their muscle in funding some cool space program instead, if it is about bragging rights.

Aryeh Jay · 2025-12-13T05:27:32-0600

I am just proud that President Trump had an completely original idea of a grand ballroom and isn't copying any other countries. We have the best original ideas! Make America Great!

7thKeeper · 2025-12-13T08:41:41-0600

Aryeh Jay said:
I am just proud that President Trump had an completely original idea of a grand ballroom and isn't copying any other countries. We have the best original ideas! Make America Great!

We have the biggest ballroom ever! Greatest, no one has a ballroom like it. Did you know that there's no balls in a ballroom? No one knew that, nobody knows that. It'll be huge.

Maria Billingsley · 2025-12-13T09:19:19-0600

MarcusGregor said:
Trump sued by preservationists seeking reviews and congressional approval for ballroom project

President Donald Trump has been sued by preservationists seeking an architecture review and congressional approval over his White House ballroom project.

apnews.com

President Donald Trump was sued on Friday by preservationists asking a federal court to halt his White House ballroom project until it goes through multiple independent reviews and wins approval from Congress.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded group, is asking the U.S. District Court to block Trump’s White House ballroom project, which already has involved razing the East Wing, until it goes through comprehensive design reviews, environmental assessments, public comments and congressional debate and ratification.

Trump’s project has prompted criticism in the historic preservation and architectural communities, and among his political adversaries, but the lawsuit is the most tangible effort thus far to alter or stop the president’s plans for an addition that itself would be nearly twice the size of the White House before the East Wing’s demolition.

He's really going about this all wrong. Like I said elsewhere I'm not even opposed to the ballroom on principle. He's just doing it all wrong. In just about every way.

They were sleeping at the wheel on this one! Though Trump demolished during the shutdown, a very sneaky move on his part, the NTHP knew about this project way before the demo. They are fully responsible for not intervening earlier especially knowing the fact that a 90,000 sq. ft. complex couldn't possibly fit on the East Wing footprint. Even I knew this, why didn't they know this? Why didn't they put a STOP , to further planning and design until all the preliminary schematics were reviewed? This albatross ballroom was announced in July 2025, three months went by without a peep and now they file a lawsuit? Too late.

Im affraid the next President will have to deal with this mess as I doubt Trump will get what he wants, a personal compound.

ThatRobGuy · 2025-12-13T09:47:44-0600

BCP1928 said:
No, what's shocking and appalling is the ham-fisted way he's going about it.

How is it ham-fisted?

Are the construction steps being done out of order? Anything concerning with the blueprints or the floor plan?

From what I'm reading, this is the construction company slated to handle the project

Our Projects | Clark Construction

www.clarkconstruction.com

They seem to know what they're doing. (they've done everything from Amazon buildings, to professional stadiums, to office HQs)

DaisyDay · 2025-12-13T10:09:22-0600

SavedByGrace3 said:
How many objected to the basketball court that Obama had built?

Lols, way too many.

SavedByGrace3 said:
Nuff said...

Is it? Did Obama demolish historical architecture? Or did he simple repurpose the existing tennis court with some paint and moveable hoops?

The Basketball Court

Shortly after taking office, President Obama had the White House tennis court adapted so it could be used for both tennis and basketball. The White House has had a smaller outdoor court since 1991, but the adapted tennis court allows enough room for a full court game of basketball. The new court has played host to a number of distinguished visitors, from college basketball championship teams to Wounded Warrior players.

Maria Billingsley · 2025-12-13T10:12:13-0600

ThatRobGuy said:
Every ballroom is by most conventional definitions are "over the top"

The public vs. private funding conversation is just another "no-win trap".

If it was publicly funded, people would gripe about "look at what Trump is wasting your tax money on"...privately funded is "oh, it's rich people buying influence"

Keeping in mind that the head of state ballroom in Britain looks like this:
View attachment 374403

In France:
View attachment 374404

In Germany:
View attachment 374405

Japan:
View attachment 374406

To pretend that the "Trump-proposed" design is somehow uniquely tacky or a waste of money is silly.

Like I said, I'm by no means a "ballroom event" type of guy. Give me a steakhouse or craft brewery any night of the week.

But we can't pretend that this whole ballroom thing is "shocking and appalling".

The main issue is the size not the design.

ThatRobGuy · 2025-12-13T10:13:15-0600

Stopped_lurking said:
To build a ballroom because others have it seems immature. Can't the US show their muscle in funding some cool space program instead, if it is about bragging rights.

If we are going to be hosting state events and receptions, apart from the superficial aspect of "it looks low class to have dignitaries sitting in tents when they come in for an event, and could influence perceptions...which can have other effects"

There is some practical use for having an event space that's within the property of the official state residence.

A big one is security logistics for those events.

In the winter months where outside dining in tents isn't an option, they've rented out event spaces at hotels.

Obviously that's tougher to secure than something that's on white house property.

Aryeh Jay said:
I am just proud that President Trump had an completely original idea of a grand ballroom and isn't copying any other countries.

Haven't many on the progressive wing been clamoring for us to copy stuff from Europe for like 25 years?

Trump sued by preservationists seeking reviews and congressional approval for ballroom project

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